Hell's Turnabout
by Cybertoy00
Summary: Phoenix Wright is in for the trial of his life as he's asked to investigate a murder...in the Netherworld! Our Ace Attorney must match wits with the wild and weird characters of Disgaea when he's asked to get Overlord Laharl an acquital.
1. Wright's Descent

Disclaimer: This is a non-profit, entirely fictional and completely non-canonical crossover of the _Ace Attorney _and the _Disgaea _series'. _Ace Attorney_ is the property of Capcom, and _Disgaea _is owned by Nippon-Ichi Software. Please support these companies by buying their games and merchandise.

NOTE: This story is inspired by a production on Youtube by LordIban called Devil's Attorney. You should definitely watch it!

-AAD- Scene change.

("Phoenix's thoughts.")

Sound check, 1, 2, 3…

"_**OBJECTION!**_"

"_**HOLD IT!**_"

"_**TAKE THAT!**_"

-AAD-

_Judgment…_

_It comes in all shapes in sizes. It comes without warning. It comes with the territory._

_We are judged by our appearances. By the company we keep. By the causes we support. By our beliefs, our professions, by the things we do._

_But by what right does anyone have to pass judgment? What is the right decision? And who can we trust to give a just ruling?_

_As long as people seek justice, these questions will persist…_

…

"So…you have come to this place after all."

"You-! What are you doing here?"

"...I have come to ask again that you re-think your path."

"…I cannot."

"Even though you feel differently?"

"…There is too much at stake…For the people, I will not let my personal opinions affect my judgment."

"I see…that is too bad."

"Wha…what are you doing? Put that down… AGG…!"

…

A boy with blue hair, with two strands styled like a pair of insect antenna, stared at the prone figure clad in white, lying on the floor.

"…Aw, hell, why now?"

**Disgaea / Ace Attorney**

**Hell's Turnabout**

October 6, 3:03 PM_

Wright & Co. Law Offices_

("Finally… It's taken all morning, but I've finally gotten all of the important files locked away.")

Things were unusually calm in the Wright & Co. Law Offices. Normally, 'calm' would be the de-facto mood for a lawyer's office, this was not the case at the office of Phoenix Wright. On any other day, the office would be noisy with the chattering and antics of his hyper-active assistant, Maya Fey, sometimes aided and abetted by her 8-year old cousin, Pearl Fey. As it stood, both of the girls had been called back to their hometown of Kurain Village, undergoing the necessary training for spiritual mediums. Being told that the two of them would be gone for a whole week, Wright decided that the time had come to take a well-earned vacation.

Wright checked his watch. Just in time, his plane was going to take off in an hour and a half. Picking up his suitcase, he made his way to the door, going through a mental check-list.

("Let's see… Put away the case files, changed the answering machine message, cleaned the toilets, got my tickets… I am done! A short trip to the airport is all that's standing between me and a rest in the country.")

Sadly, things never went according to plan for Phoenix Wright, and today would be no different. Just as Wright began to turn the knob of his door, he heard a strange noise from behind.

Frrrwwooosh!

("Huh? What was that? It sounded like a toilet being flushed…in a thunderstorm.")

Turning around, Wright was surprised to see a young girl, about 14 or so, standing in his office! And it wasn't just her abrupt appearance that caught his attention either. This girl wore a mini-skirt and belly-showing midriff, stockings and long gloves, all made of leather, complete with buckles. She even had a collar around her neck. Had this girl actually had a figure, her choice in wardrobe would have been obscene…not that it wasn't in its own right. Her hair was tied into two spiky pigtails, and it might have been Wright's imagination, but he could have sworn that her ears came to _point_.

"Er… Can I help you?" Wright asked politely, while thinking, ("Whoa! How did she get in here?")

"Are you Phoenix Wright, the Ace Attorney?" the girl asked.

"Well, my name is Phoenix Wright, and I _am _an attorney." Wright answered awkwardly. He had jokingly called himself an 'Ace Attorney' once on an earlier case, but didn't think it would come again…and in such strange company.

"Good enough," The girl said, "I am Etna, Beauty Queen, Demon Lord, and vassal to Laharl, Overlord of the Netherworld."

("Demon Lord? Netherworld? _Overlord? _What the heck is this girl talking about?")

"The Prince has recently come into a…" Etna's eye narrowed and she smirked. "…_dispute, _and would like you to represent him in court. Whaddya say? Be good publicity if people knew an _Overlord_ hired you, wouldn't it?"

By this time, Wright had had enough. "Look, little girl," He began, not picking up on the twitch in Etna's eye. "The office is closed for today. I'm not accepting any new clients right now." ("Especially for some role play group.") "Why don't you come back in a week?" ("I'm sure Maya wouldn't mind a baby-sitting assignment.")

Etna narrowed her eyes. "Is that so? Well, too bad for me, then. I guess I'll just go back to the castle and… Oh my god!" She suddenly cried, pointing past Wright. "What the hell is _that?_"

"What?" Wright asked, whirling around. "What's what?"

Thunk!

Wright felt a sharp pain over his head, and fell to the floor. Before he lost consciousness, he heard a malevolent chuckle.

"Heh heh… Works every time…"

**Episode 1**

_Wright's Descent_

The incessant darkness Wright drifted through was pocketed by the occasional streak of light.

"…ood?"

"…poke him…"

"Ugh…my head… What happened…?" Wright muttered as he felt a prodding in his side. Forcing his eyes open, he sat up from where he was lying. The first thing he saw was giant yellow beak. "_What the?_"

"Dood!"

Wright stared as what looked like a penguin with peg-legs where its feet should be bolted. The 'penguin' stepped onto a banana peel, slid several feet until it fell off a step, tumbling wildly in the air before hitting the floor.

Boom!

Wright stood shell-shocked at the small scorch mark where the penguin had landed.

"It just…exploded…" He stammered, unable to process what he had seen.

"Enjoy your nap, Mr. Wright?" A cheeky, but all-too-familiar voice asked.

Wright looked to his side immediately to see none other than Etna, beaming.

"You-!" He cried, "What's going on- Who was tha- _Why did it_ _explode?_"

"That just leaves where and when, Mr. Wright." Etna pointed out helpfully.

It was at that moment that Wright then realized that he was no longer inside of his nice, clean, orderly office. Instead, he noticed that he was in some kind of gloomy hall. Off to the side he could see a brown counter with the sign 'Rozen Queen Co.' on the front. Behind it was a large shelf stacked with numerous packages and items. Opposite that was a pair of brightly-lit shops, both tended by a lady. The shop on the left had assign reading, 'Netherworld Hospital', while the one on the right had a sign called, 'Item World'. Between the two shops was a some kind of rotting corpse which Wright assumed was just a mannequin until it took out a yoyo and began to do tricks. Between the shops and counter was some kind of swirling, blue and white vortex the size of a man, guarded by a blind woman.

"Well, now that you're awake, why don't we go see your new client, Mr. Ace Attorney?" Etna asked.

"_**HOLD IT!**_" Wright yelled, pointing his 'finger of truth' (Pat. Pending). "You haven't explained anything to me! Where the hell am I!"

"You just your won question," Etna replied simply. "This is the Netherworld, a chaotic and turbulent place where demons live." She held out a postcard showing a picture of some kind of dark and twisted landscape, with rivers of lava (He _hoped_ that stuff was lava) forests of gnarled trees, and a red moon in the starry sky.

Wright looked away from the card. It was only then did he notice that Etna had a long devil's tail sticking out of her skirt, and a pair of small bat wings on her back. His eyes followed the motion of the tail as it twitched and curled in the air.

"And yes, that means _I_ am a demon," Etna went on, "As are almost everyone you'll meet here."

Wright began to shake as these revelations put another train of thought into motion. "Wait… If this place is Hell…than…does that mean…" He couldn't hold it in anymore and exploded. "_Am I DEAD!_" His life began to flash before his eyes…as well as a very familiar dream involving a giant Judge.

Etna seemed to take this outburst in stride. Putting her hands behind her back, she walked up to where Wright was still sitting. After a moment's thought, she kicked him in the butt. _Hard._

"Ow!" Wright cried, standing up quickly. He rubbed where it hurt, wincing. She must have got him with a heel.

"If you can still feel pain, then you're still alive," Etna explained, smiling at her act of violence. "Now, come on, we have to go to the detention center."

"But- Ow- you still haven't told me what this about!" Wright wailed desperately. He felt as if he was going to literally melt down from the way things were going.

Etna sighed, looking annoyed. "I told you at your office, remember? Laharl, our _Overlord_, wants you to represent him in court."

"But- But- _Why?_" Wright asked exasperatedly. While he still didn't understand any of what happened to him, the word 'court' gave him a familiar ground to stand on. "What does he need me for?"

"Oh, that's simple," Etna said dismissively. "He's been accused of murder. You're going to defend his case."

_Murder. _The word sounded so different from the casual way Etna had said it, as if it were a slap on the wrist. However, the inclusion of the word 'defend' was more familiar ground for Wright, and he graciously welcomed it.

("Maybe if I just focus on that, the rest of this nightmare will start making sense.") Wright thought, and asked, "What happened?"

"I'll let him explain it when we see him," Etna shrugged, "We'll head to his cell as soon as I get this Prinny checked in."

"Prinny?"

"D-Dood…"

Wright looked up, and saw the charred form of the penguin he saw moments ago. It seemed like the force of the explosion had propelled him into the ceiling. Taking out a long spear, Etna poked, prodded, and ultimately impaled the miserable creature on the weapon's blade. With that, she pulled the creature down, and then tossed it, spear and all' at the Netherworld Hospital.

"Take care of that, will you?" She asked as a woman dressed as a samurai caught the spear. "Don't worry about the payment, just ruffle through its fanny pack."

The samurai nodded, and dragged the penguin into the Hospital. Once she was gone, Etna turned back to Wright.

"_That _thing was a Prinny," She explained, "They have a tendency to blow up if they're thrown around enough, but don't worry, fixing them up is _super_-cheap."

("Especially since you're not paying for it…") Wright thought. Etna's response didn't answer his intended question, but he decided not to pursue the subject. He had a very good feeling that things would only get weirder from here, and if he was going to defend this…Overlord, he would need to keep his mind confusion-free.

"Well, I think we've hung around here enough," Etna said, "Let's go see the Prince!" She cocked an eyebrow. "…Or do you have any other questions?"

"Just one…" Wright sighed, looking down. "…Is this really happening? I'm not dreaming, am I?"

"I don't blame for dreaming of a sexy demon like me, but you're wide awake," Etna replied, "Now then, on to the Prince!"

"Right…" Wright sighed, looking back up. "So…where is it again?"

-AAD-

As it turned out, the 'Netherworld Detention Center' was just another word for the castle dungeon. After walking down many, many flights of stairs, (Leading Wright to believe they were now under the ground- several miles under it, to be precise.) Etna walked up to a large door made of partly chipped, mostly moldy wood.

"He's in here," Etna explained, taking the door's handle and pulling. "Hope he's in a good mood."

"Wh-why wouldn't he be?" Wright asked looking around nervously. The trip down had done little to lower his stress levels. Their path had been littered with demons in all shapes and sizes, and their stares did not put Phoenix at ease at all.

"Well, we were supposed to be down here and hour ago," Etna answered, "But because _someone _needed to take a nap, we're just a _teensy _bit behind schedule."

"You're the one who knocked me out!" Wright protested as they entered the dungeon.

"Excuses, excuses…" Etna waved him off.

The dungeon looked like something out of a dark fantasy… It was dank, bits and pieces of various monsters were strewn here and there. There were no proper cells, save on at the end, opposite of the entrance. The rest of the dungeon just had rusty-looking cages in various shapes and sizes, and there was a sign on that said, 'X days since last case of tetnus!' the number having been crossed out.

Etna pointed towards the cell at the end. "There."

The two of them walked towards the cell, one more nervous than the other. Wright was practically soaking his blue suit in sweat as the moment when he met Etna's mysterious boss came closer and closer.

("All right, Phoenix, stay calm… You're only meeting the supreme and unchallenged ruler of Hell…the prince of darkness… Just be cool, and maybe you can get out of this without eternal damnation…")

"We're here, Prince," Etna called into the cell. "Why don't you stop moping in those shadows and greet your lawyer in person?"

"You took your damn time!" A nasty voice shot out from the shadows behind the bars. It was a few octaves higher than Wright had expected.

("Huh? That sounded like a child's voice…")

Wright soon saw that there was a reason for that. Stepping out of the darkness towards them was a small boy with a mop of messy blue hair, with two strands styled to resemble insect antenna. He wore a large red scarf that seemed to be as long as he was tall, and a pair of shorts and boots- and just that. He had red eyes and what looked like permanent scowl on his face.

"Phoenix Wright, may I introduce our _glorious leader_…" Etna said grandly, "…Overlord Laharl!"

("Th-this kid?") Wright thought, but wisely said, "Uh…pleased to meet you…sir…"

Laharl gave him a curt nod. "Likewise. Now I can get this idiotic accusation dealt with!"

That reminded Wright. "That reminds me… What exactly do you need me for?"

Laharl glared at Etna. "Didn't you tell him _anything?_"

"I thought you would like to tell it in your own words," Etna replied, "Anyway, I better get going and get the Dark Assembly ready. Bye!"

With that, Etna left the dungeon in a flash. With her gone, Wright was beginning to feel even more nervous. Laharl was glaring at him, and the defense attorney was inclined to believe that the bars would serve little protection if the boy Overlord became violent.

"So, um…" Wright racked his brains for something to say. "You're awfully young to be an, uh, Overlord, aren't you? How old are you?"

"Don't look at me like I'm some kind of kid," Laharl replied, "I happen to be 1313 years old. That's way older than _you'll _ever be!"

("And yet, you look only 13.")

"My father was the last Overlord, but I didn't ride on his coattails," Laharl went on, "I lured all of my rivals into a trap and finished them off!" He threw his head back. "Haaaah-ha-ha-ha!"

"Er, congralutations." Wright replied, bewildered. ("I guess murder isn't a crime among demons…") "So…you said you were accused of something, didn't you? What was it?"

Laharl stopped laughing instantly. "Murder."

"…I see. So, the families of your 'rivals'…" Wright trailed off expectantly.

"Fool. I'm the Overlord. I can kill anyone in my dominion as I see fit," Laharl retorted, "This is much worse."

("What's worse than mass murder?")

"My alledged 'victim' was an angel."

"Wh-what?" Wright exclaimed, "There are _angels?_"

"Looks like Etna didn't tell you _anything, _did she?" Laharl asked, irritated.

"…Information-wise, she only gave me the bare minimum." Wright answered.

"That's all she _ever _gives…" Laharl sighed, and said clearly. "Okay, I'll give you a summary of the situation, but I'm only going to say it once, so listen up!

"Opposite of the Netherworld is Celestia, the land of angels. For countless millennia, demons and angels have been bitter enemies. The friendliest they've ever been is by ignoring one another. A few years ago, the head angel, Seraph Lamington, decided to create friendly ties with the Netherworld," Laharl shrugged. "I'm not crazy about the idea, but he's a pretty okay guy, for an angel, so I agreed to go along with it."

("The way he acts, it's like being asked to mow the lawn.")

"Of course, not everyone's wild about it," Laharl continued, "There might be some demons here who don't like angels, and there are definitely angels in Celestia who hate demons. So there's been plenty of opposition.

"As a gesture of faith, Lamington sent down a high-ranking angel as an ambassador…I think his name was Tramus. I went to go meet him, but when I arrived at his room, the old geezer was dead! Before I know it, I'm being arrested by these badge-carrying whackjobs and forced into this stupid cell! Who do they think they are? _Who the hell do they think I am!_"

Wright was becoming uncomfortably aware that as Laharl's voice increased in volume, so did the room's temperature. He was also feeling the floor beginning to shake. As if that weren't enough, the young Overlord's eyes were turning completely red, and his hair-antenna was starting to stand on end!

"Th-that's not my fault!" Wright cried desperately, "Calm down!"

Laharl seemed to hear Wright, and clamped his mouth shut. Gritting his teeth, he heaved unhappily as the dungeon cooled down and the floor stopped shaking.

"This... This is so stupid!" He grunted, "I had no reason to kill that angel! I'm not a psychopath! I only kill people I want to kill!"

("Actually, I think that's what a psychopath _is!_")

"Not only that, but I've heard that they've changed our court system for this very case!" Laharl ranted, "Just to make it easier to convict me!"

("A trial with the odds stacked against the defendant? That sounds distressingly familiar…")

Forcing himself calm, Laharl said, "And that's my problem, Phoenix. If you can't clear my name in court, I'll be convicted of murdering a diplomat."

"I see," Wright nodded, "That's quite a problem." ("And when were we on a first-name basis?"

"And it's not just my problem," Laharl went on, "Lamington's in trouble as well."

"The head angel? What for?" Wright asked.

"The other angels think he's losing his touch for wanting to open friendly relations with demons," Laharl explained, "Sending an angel like Tramus to 'certain death at the hands of demons' was the last straw. From what I hear, there's talk of making Lamington step down from his position as Seraph, and putting another angel in charge…an angel who won't let those 'damn demons get away with this.'"

"So what you're saying is…" Wright began, trailing off as Laharl nodded.

"Correct. If I'm declared guilty, a war might start between the Netherworld and Celestia. This trial could start or stop it."

("Hmm… It looks like there's more at stake here than just one boy- er, demon's fate. A war between worlds…and it's up to me to stop it? I'd be biting off more than I can chew.")

Wright looked into Laharl's eyes. They were cold, cruel, calculating… Wright knew without a doubt that these were eyes that had seen and committed many great evils.

("These people…these demons attacked me, abducted me… I owe them nothing…but can I really turn my back on this boy?") Wright reached into his pocket. ("Only one way to find out…")

Wright dug around in the pocket of his jacket. Much to his relief, he felt the presence of a familiar object. A bead-like thing, shaped vaguely like a 9…the Magatama. The Magatama was a magical charm given to Wright by Maya and Pearl. When he held it, he could see whether or not someone had secrets locked away inside their minds and souls.

"Well, Phoenix?" Laharl asked in a demanding tone, "Are you going to be my lawyer or not?"

Clutching the Magatama in his hand, Wright said, "Just answer this question; Are you responsible for the death of angel ambassador Tramus in any way?"

Once again, Laharl's eyes went red and his antenna stood up. "You idiot! I just told I didn't!"

"So, you didn't kill him?" Wright asked, and then remembered another case. "Or had someone else kill him?"

"_No!_"

Whenever someone lied, the Magatama would show their hidden truths by giving its holder visions of chains and locks, the number depending on how many secrets they had, and how heavily they guarded them.

Not a single one appeared on Laharl.

("Looks like he's telling the truth.") Wright decided, and put the Magatama away. "Sorry about that. I like to double-check my facts."

"And?"

Wright took a deep breath. "Since I'm stuck here anyway, I might as well do some good. I'll defend you in court."

Laharl smirked. "Good decision."

The young overlord stuck his hand out through the bars of his cell. Wright took it, and the two of them shook hands.

**Episode 1**

_End_

(A/N: To LordIban, I'm sorry if you feel I'm plagerizing your work. I'll be taking my story in different direction than you probably will in yours. I hope. Though there'll be some similarities at first, it should be different, I swear!)

(Also, the name of the murder victim…it's based off of _tiramisu_, the Italian pastry. I chose the name because in Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, all of the good angels have names of similar origin. Lamington is a type of sponge cake, and Flonne is, well, flan!)

**Etna: **The evil alliance of Overlord Laharl, and Devil Attorney Phoenix Wright has been born!

**Wright: **Evil alliance? Devil attorney? The heck?

**Etna: **With his new connections, Wright entraps millions with insidious fine print, wringing money from the Netherworld with his outrageous legal fees!

**Wright: **I'm not that kind of lawyer! And my fees are perfectly acceptable!

**Etna: **But, out from the darkness, a hero emerges! It's _Etna, the Lawyer-Slayer!_

**Wright: **_Slayer? _Lawyers aren't vampires!

**Etna: **Can she break Wright's hold over the Netherworld? Find out next time on _Sexy Demon Justice! _Final episode, 'The Devil in the Details'!

**Wright: **Remind me to miss that show…


	2. Investigation: Doing It the Wright Way!

"The Dark Assembly is down this way," Laharl said, leading Wright through a corridor. "Etna should be done by now."

"Okay, but, um," Wright began to sweat. "Are you sure it's a good idea for you to leave you cell? Aren't you 'under arrest'?"

"Fool," Laharl snorted, "I'm the Overlord. No prison can hold me."

If _that _wasn't the truth, Wright didn't know what was. Right after they shook hands, Laharl systematically ripped the bars off between them, throwing the metal pieces into a wall of the dungeon where they, being sufficiently heated from the young Overlord's power, fused with the stone.

"And now that I've got my lawyer, there's no reason for me to stay in that stinking pit," Laharl continued irritably, "We need to work together if we're going to support my case."

"If…if you say so." Wright replied, scratching the back of his head.

"Anyway, I'm hungry," Laharl added, "They don't send the desert cart to the dungeon, and I want a chocolate bar in the worst way."

("_That's_ why you committed a jailbreak!") Wright thought, sweating again.

**Episode 2**

_Investigation: Doing It The Wright Way!_

Much to Wright's surprise, Laharl had led the two of them back to the shopping area the lawyer had woken up in. At first, Wright thought Laharl just wanted to buy a snack from the Rosen Queen Netherworld Branch, which he did. After doing so, however, the demon marched past the shops to the back of the area, to where a pair of cages hanging from the ceiling was. He was about to get in one when a girl, probably Etna's age, stopped him. She was a strange girl, wearing a white clothes and a red ribbon that looked like bunny ears. Her face was devoid of all emotion, making Wright wonder if she was truly alive or some kind of mannequin.

"What do you want, Pleinair?" Laharl asked.

The girl, Pleinair, told him that the Dark Assembly was still in session, and that he would have to wait until they done. This felt quite strange, as Wright couldn't recall actually hearing a sound from her mouth. Or seeing her mouth move. It was if she had given her statement without bothering with the use of speech. Confused, Wright rubbed the inside of his ears, to see if something was blocking them.

Pleinair told Laharl to wait in the shopping area to cal his own assembly. (Wright rubbed his ears.)

"Dammit, what the hell is taking Etna so long?" Laharl muttered, slouching against the wall. "She should be done convincing them by now…"

"That reminds me, what exactly is this 'Dark Assembly'?" Wright asked, "And what do we need to convince them of?"

Laharl closed his eyes for a moment, chewing on a piece of chocolate. When he swallowed and opened them, he said, "There are some things even the Overlord isn't allowed to do."

"What sort of things?" Wright asked.

Laharl shrugged. "You know, opening portals to certain restricted areas, changing the strength of local monsters, decreasing the price of pudding… You average stuff."

("Only one of those things sounds remotely normal.")

"For those things, he has to get permission from the Dark Assembly," Laharl continued, "A council of demons from all over the Netherworld."

"We have decision-making processes like that in the human world, too," Wright noted thoughtfully, and asked, "Who exactly is in the Assembly? How are they elected?"

"We just grab some guys off the street," Laharl replied, "And when we're done, we just throw them out."

("…So, it's like taking a survey?") Wright thought, sweating. A thought occurred to him. "Wait, so I need permission from these random guys to be your Defense Attorney?"

"Don't be silly," Laharl answered, "We just need permission for you to investigate the scene of the murder."

"But why do I need permission for that?"

"I told you in the dungeon, didn't I?" Laharl responded, "The whole system's been changed around. The Dark Assembly handle's _everything_ connected to this case now."

("Like I didn't have enough worries…")

Thankfully, the discussion was cut off by the sound of ancient gears turning. The cage Pleinair was standing next to sank down into the floor, and after a few moments it rose back up. Inside was Etna, who looked _very _victorious.

"I'm back!" She sang, hopping out of the cage/elevator.

"It went well, I assume?" Laharl asked, giving Etna a look.

"Of course it did," Etna held out a sheet of paper, "The Defense Investigation Bill has been passed!"

Laharl took the paper and inspected it. Nodding, he passed it over to Wright and said, "Good job. Now no one can stop us."

It looked like Laharl was about to unleash another one of his bouts of evil laughter when Etna held out a second piece of paper into his view.

"But before you enjoy yourself _too _much, I just need you to take care of this." Etna purred.

"What is it?" Laharl asked, taking the sheet in confusion. Examining it, he read aloud, "Taiyaki…770 hell? Barbecue sauce…1, 300 hell? Nether 35… 1, 839 hell?"

"What's all that mean?" Wright asked as he added the bill to the court record.

"Oh, that's just _my _bill," Etna replied casually, playing with her leather choker. "Convincing the assembly wasn't cheap, you know."

"_ETNA!_" Laharl roared, his eyes turning pure red and antenna standing on end. "What the _hell _is all this? Why did you use the most expensive items! And why am _I _getting the bill?

Etna angrily put her hands on her hips as she glared at Laharl. "Hey, _you're _the one who said, 'Get the bill passed no matter what', remember? Why should _I _spend my money on _your _needs?"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Wright cried, trying to get the attention of the two demons. When they looked at him, Wright asked, "All this about money, and 'convincing'" His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "…did you _bribe _the Assembly?"

Both Laharl and Etna gave him odd looks.

"Of course she did," Laharl replied plainly, "What's wrong?"

("I don't know, besides…everything?") Wright instead said, "It's illegal, that's what's wrong! How can you be so blatant about it?"

Etna rolled her eyes. "Mr. Wright, don't think of it as bribery," she said sweetly, "Think of it as 'influencing the opinion of Assembly members with the delivery of expensive gifts.'"

"Expensive is right!" Laharl grunted, glaring at Etna peevishly.

"_Any_way, the bill's already been passed," Etna went on, pointedly ignoring Laharl's eye. "So who cares?"

"_I _care!" Wright said, "I've always done my cases honestly!"

"Well then, you can leave the dishonest stuff to me then." Etna replied without missing a beat.

("…I give up. I just hope working with these demons won't strip me of my humanity.")

"Prince, I'm going to take Wright here to the crime scene," Etna said, taking advantage of Wright's frustrated silence. "You just take care of that bill all right?"

Laharl clenched his teeth, making what would have been a great profanity partially inaudible. "...Tch! Fine! I guess I have no choice."

"Wait, you're not coming with us?" Wright asked.

"I'm the main suspect, remember?" Laharl half-shouted, "I can't go to where the murder happened!"

("And yet, you had no problems breaking out of your cell.") Wright thought. "So, what? You're under house-arrest, now?"

"Something like that." Laharl muttered, sulking so much that his head was half-buried in his scarf.

"Hmmm…are you sure there's not _another _reason you don't want to come with us?" Etna asked.

"_Get going!_" Laharl exploded.

"Right, right…" Etna grinned, taking Wright by his jacket. "Don't pop a vessel, will ya?"

Etna dragged Wright over to the glowing blue vortex on the other end of the shopping area. Standing before it was a woman (Another demon, Wright noted the pointed wears) whose eyes were closed. They weren't shut though, bringing to mind someone who had fallen asleep standing up.

Then the woman, without opening her eyes, asked, "Where would you like to go, Lord Etna?"

"Just send us to the hotel," Etna replied, "You know the one I'm talking about."

"Very well." The woman said, and turned around to face the swirling energy. As she began to chant, Wright took this moment to ask Etna a few questions.

"What is all of this?" Was the first one.

"This? This is our castle portal," Etna explained, "We use it to travel anywhere we want. We just tell the portal keeper our destination, and poof! We're there. Of course, any demon at Demon Lord rank or above can make a portal of their own, but why do the extra work?"

"Anywhere…" Wright repeated, and made a connection. "Like, in the inside of an office, for instance?"

Etna preened. "Bingo!"

("So _that's _how she snuck into my office without me noticing…") Wright thought, and filed what he learned about portals under 'Important Things to Know.'

"The portal is ready, Lord Etna," The portal keeper said then, turning back to the pair. "Just go whenever you feel ready."

"Well, no time like the present!" Etna said, and taking hold of Wright's sleeve, walked him towards the portal.

While Wright didn't exactly fight against it, he had trouble, fully allowing himself to go closer to the swirling mass of light.

"Um… Exactly how long does it take to get somewhere with these things?" He asked, trying not to trip over his own feet.

"Not long, actually," Etna said, and reached out to touch the portal. "In fact…"

-AAD-

October 6, 4:41 PM_

Blair Forest_

"…We're already here."

Wright blinked. He and Etna were no longer in a dark and gloomy corridor of some ancient castle, but were now out in a field. Of course, that did not mean the field was in no way dark or gloomy. Though the grass was green, its shade brought to mind a crocodile's scales than any breed of plant. It was poorly cut in places, as if whoever did the cutting used a rusty scythe, and pocketed with flowers whose blossoms resembled a shark's jaws. There were trees, but they weren't the oaks Wright was used to. The wood was twisted and deformed, reminiscent of _The Scream_. But that was nothing compared to the building directly in Wright's vision.

To say that it 'looked spooky' would have been a complement. It took the basic concept of a haunted house ride at a theme park and went crazy. There were gargoyles- horrible, ugly, vicious-looking gargoyles- on every corner, the windows were depicting scenes of horror, and the door knocker was a scowling monster making inappropriate gestures. The word 'gothic' came to mind. Over the door was a giant sign with the word GATES on the front wall in glowing neon letters.

"Welcome to the Gates Hotel!" Etna introduced, ignorant or ignoring Wright's expression of shocked terror. "Whaddya think?"

"It's…different, that's for sure," Wright said at last. ("Guh…who designed this place? Count Dracula?") A thought occurred to him. "Wait, did you say _Gate _Hotel?"

"That's right," Etna replied, "It used to be called Bates, but the owner got into some copyright trouble, so he changed the name to Gates."

Wright noticed that the G seemed partially deformed. Apparently, whoever had changed the sign decided that it was enough to just alter the B into a G.

He exhaled. "Well, let's go. If we're lucky, we might find something the investigators left out, like…"

"Hola, mi amigo!"

Wright blinked. "A…pig?"

To be more precise, it looked like a boar. Three of them, standing on their hind legs. Their fur was purple, and they wore helmets on top of their heads. Each of them clutched a club in their stubby 'arm-hooves'.

And right now they were standing between Wright and the hotel.

"Huh. A trio of orcs," Etna commented, and asked, "Hey, what do you three swine want?"

"Hey, you should show us some respect," One orc said, a Latin accent on him. "Otherwise, we might be inclined to get a little rough, ese."

"Rough? What do you mean?" Wright asked, "Who are you guys?"

The second orc -standing to the left of the first- said, "We are the Vato Bros., homes!" He also had a Latin accent.

"I am Chewie, ese." The first orc said with a dramatic swing to his club.

"I'm Cholo, homes." The second orc said, also swinging his club dramatically.

"And I'm Churro, weddo." The third orc added from Chewie's right. He swung his club as well, but to point it at Wright. "You are the Overlord's defense attorney, Phoenix Wright, aren't you?" He too, had a Latin accent.

Wright blinked. "Er, I am. Is that a problem?"

Cholo snickered. "Oh, you bet it is, homes! We're gonna beat you up!"

Wright blanched. "What! Why?"

"We're demons, ese!" Chewie explained, "We don't need reasons to attack people."

With that, the Vato Bros. began to close in on Wright, wielding their clubs in a menacing manner. They stopped when they heard a throat being cleared.

"Before you boys get too club-happy, I have something to say," Etna cut in, "Mr. Wright here is under orders of our Lord Laharl to prove him innocent, and made _me _his assistant. So, if you're picking a fight with him…it's a fight with me," Etna grinned, "Otherwise, I'd say, 'knock yourselves out!'"

("It's nice to have support…")

If Etna had meant to scare off the Vato Bros. with her words, then she was to be disappointed. While the Vatos had stopped their advance, they didn't seem too perturbed by the demon girl's subtle threat. In fact, it looked like they were smiling. (Though, Wright couldn't know for sure. He wasn't used to reading porcine facial expressions.)

"We're not scare of you, Demon Lord Etna," Churro retorted, "After all, we got you outnumbered, weddo!"

Etna rolled her eyes. "Oh, yes, that makes such a difference. You three little piggies against Demon Lord me."

With that, Etna flicked her fingers, sending a tiny beam of purple light out. The beam struck a tree, instantly vaporizing it.

Wright froze, sweating. ("So much for finding cover… Am I in the right story?")

But Vato Bros. weren't impressed by that display of power. Though Wright wondered if they hadn't just froze from shock like he did.

Snapping out if it, Chewie said, "Nah, that's what we meant, ese! We got a secret weapon! _Muchachos!_"

And out from nowhere, a dozen creatures appeared behind the Vato Bros. The monsters looked vaguely like white whisps, wearing green robes floating off the ground. The sleeves of their robes hung limply at their side, empty. Wright remembered seeing one like them back at the Overlord's Castle

"Oh, you brought ghosts." Etna remarked, casually checking her nails.

"Heheheh! That's right, weddo!" Churro chuckled fiendishly, "Now we got the advantage! Too bad it's just you and that attorney, otherwise you might stand a chance! Whatcha gonna do now?"

("I don't know how dangerous those 'ghosts' are, but we're definitely outnumbered,") Wright thought, and glanced towards the hotel. ("Maybe if we make a break for it, we might reach the hotel and get help before they can catch up with us…")

Etna, on the other hand, didn't seem worried at all. She shrugged, reached into an unseen pocket on her skirt, and pulled out a whistle. She blew into the whistle, filling the area with a shrill shriek.

"What are you doing?" Wright asked, covering his ears.

"Calling for back-up." Etna replied, putting the whistle away.

"Dood?"

Another portal opened up, and out from it fell several more of those Prinnies fell out from it. Getting to their feet, they ran up to Etna.

("Great…more penguins.")

"Okay, Prinny Squad, here's the drill," Etna told them, and pointed at the Vato Bros.' forces. "Get 'em!"

"Ha ha ha!" Cholo cackled, "You think those little peons can do anything?"

To answer, the Prinny Squad each unzipped their fanny packs and stuck their flippers in. Pulling them out, they revealed a menacing dagger on each one, an act made more incredible by the realization that Prinny flippers weren't built to hold anything.

("What else do they keep in those things?") Wright wondered, amazed.

And so, as Wright watched in bewildered silence, a battle ensued. While the Prinny Squad fought a pitched battle against the Vato Bros.' ghost legion, Etna faced off against the brothers themselves. It wasn't that much of a battle, though. She just fried them with a giant ball of fire.

FWOOSH!

Once the smoke had cleared, the Vato Bros. were covered in soot. And their helmets were on fire.

"That's…_cough_…some demon power, weddo," Churro said after a moment, "Maybe we should try this when you're not around, yeah?"

"Oh yeah." Etna nodded.

"Well, until next time…_adios!_"

The Vato Bros limped off, leaving a trail of smoke in their wake. Etna shook her head in dismay. Wright bravely approached her, still somewhat unsure of how to talk to someone capable of doing what she did.

"Will…will that be the last we see of them?" He asked.

"Doubt it," She replied, "I've seen idiots like them before, and they're always too stupid to give up…what's this?" She picked up something off the ground. It looked like some little books.

"What are those?" Wright wondered, looking over her shoulder. "They look like passports."

"They are," Etna confirmed, and flipped through one. "Hmm…according to this, they're from the Nether Institute Evil Academy…probably on a holiday or something," She grinned nastily. "Well, looks like the return trip won't be as smooth now!"

Wright wasn't sure whether or not the passports were important, but nonetheless, in fear of upsetting Etna, he added them to the court record.

"Um, why don't we go investigate that crime scene?" He asked, gesturing to the hotel. "I mean, before someone else attacks."

"Good call."

-AAD-

October 6, 5:10 PM_

Gates Hotel_

Lobby_

The interior of the hotel wasn't as bad as Wright had expected. While there was still a definite goth theme, it looked like the lobby from the Gatewater Hotel back near his office.

"Hello, welcome to the Gates Hotel! How many are in your party?"

Wright blinked and looked to where that chirpy voice had come from. Standing behind the desk was a cute girl about Etna's age. However, that was the only similarity this girl had to Etna. Her hair was a mane of gold that draped elegantly down her back past her shoulders, she wore fluffy white robes and a one-piece red bathing suit under her robes, and bunny-ears-shaped ribbon in her head, but that didn't seem half as provocative as Etna's leather. But the most striking difference from Etna was the girl's eyes…eyes that were wide and full of innocence.

"Hey Flonne," Etna greeted, "How's things?"

"Oh, it's you, Etna!" the girl- Flonne- realized, "I'm sorry I didn't see you there…who's your friend? Could you introduce us?"

Etna nodded. "Okay, Flonne, this is Mr. Phoenix Wright, the Prince's attorney. Wright, this is Flonne, a friend of your client."

Wright nodded at Flonne and the girl curtsied.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Wright said, thinking, ("I didn't think that brat _had _any friends…")

"Same here," Flonne chirped, and then cocked her head. "Attorney…" She gasped, "Are you _that _Phoenix Wright? The Ace Attorney!"

Wright scratched his head awkwardly as he smiled. "Well, yeah…"

"Oh, I've heard so much about you!" Flonne gushed, her eyes becoming aflame. "Phoenix Wright, seeker of truth and justice! Defender of the innocent! Punisher of evil!"

"Um, something like that…" Wright agreed, taking a few steps back as Flonne worked herself into a deeper frenzy.

"So," Flonne said after calming down, "How can I help you? Would you like to check in? We've got plenty of rooms."

"Maybe later…" Wright replied, looking to Etna for help. His hopes for assistance were dashed at the sight of the demon's amused grin. Trying a different tack, he asked, "So, you're friends with Laharl?"

Flonne nodded, "Yes, we meet when I was trying to assassinate his father."

"…What?"

"Oh!" Flonne eyes widened when the crux of her statement hit her. "But, he was already dead when I got into the castle, and he didn't seem that upset about it."

"If anything, he was more upset that you weren't trying to assassinate _him._" Etna interjected, smiling at the memory.

("I will never understand these demons…") Wright thought, and asked, "Um, have you been assassinating anyone else lately?"

"Oh no, that was just a one-time thing," Flonne explained, "Now I work as a teacher, trying to help demons understand love!"

("That's not exactly what I would expect a demon to have a class about…") Wright noticed a contradiction and asked, "Wait, so, what are you doing here?"

"I've been working part-time here at the hotel for the past few days, so I can meet Lord Tramus," Flonne answered, "He was one of my instructors back in Celestia."

"But aren't people from Celestia angels?" Wright asked.

"I was once an angel myseft, up until a few years ago," Flonne replied, "I committed some bad deeds, and had my angelic status revoked by the Seraph. Now, I am a Fallen Angel."

("I thought there was something different about her, compared to the other demons.")

"Etna, how is Sir Laharl doing?" Flonne asked.

"Oh, he's having a hissy fit about this." Etna replied dismissively.

Flonne sighed happily. "Oh, that's good. That means he's spirit hasn't been crushed yet. I haven't seen him since the death of Lord Tramus, and I was so worried about him. I couldn't even talk to him at the castle- the Prinnies on guard said I wasn't allowed into the dungeon."

"That reminds me," Wright interrupted, "The reason I'm here is to defend Laharl in court. Do you know where the victim's body was found? I want to look at the crime scene."

"Of course," Flonne said, and pointed towards some stairs. "Just go to room 13 on the fourth floor. You can't miss it. It's the one that's been taped off."

("13 on 4… That sounds ominous.") Wright thought, and was about to go when Flonne's comment about tape made him wonder about something. "By the way…do you know who's in charge of the murder investigation? Who's the detective?"

Instead of answering helpfully, Flonne crossed her arms and turned away, frowning. "Hmph!"

"…Is something wrong?" Etna asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't talk to me about that…that…so-called investigator!" Flonne huffed, "The way she thinks she's…Ooh!" Muttering under her breath, Flonne stomped off.

Etna and Wright exchanged odd looks.

"Angels," Etna said at last, "Fallen or otherwise, who can figure 'em?"

-AAD-

October 6, 5: 13 PM_

Gates Hotel_

Room 13, 4th floor_

Just as Flonne had said, the 13th room on the 4th floor had indeed been taped off. The ticker-tape looked like the kind used by police in the human world, but closer inspection showed that it had actually been purchased in one of those party stores. Luckily, the tape wasn't placed very high, so Wright and Etna were able to step over it, the former with more ease than the latter. Once they were inside the room, Wright saw a chalk outline scrawled on the floor- where the body had been found. He also noted a stain of some dark substance near it.

The room itself didn't seem that different from any other hotel room Wright had seen. In fact, for a murder scene, it looked positively tidy. The only thing that seemed to be amiss- besides the chalk outline- were some pieces of paper shuffled away in the corner.

"So, this is where that angel bit it, huh?" Etna commented.

Wright nodded. "Must be. Unless outlines on the floor are commonplace in the Netherworld."

Etna grinned. "Actually…"

"Ohhhh-hoh-hoh-hoh-hoh!"

Wright jumped at the odd cackling. "What was that!"

Wright and Etna turned around and saw that the room now had a third occupant. It was a woman- or woman-shaped, at least. That much Wright could tell from looking at her. She was the most scantily-dressed woman Wright had ever seen in his life. Though she wore a heavy cape and black coat over her top, it was obvious that she wore nothing else underneath that. Her bottom had only a white thong, with high-heeled boots on her feet and legs. Her blond hair was tied up into a ponytail. Her face seemed young, but Wright had the feeling that it wouldn't look so if something washed off all that make-up.

"Who- who are you?" Wright asked, stunned at the woman's appearance.

"_I _should be asking that!" The woman retorted, hopping up, causing her unrestrained breasts to bounce. "This is a crime scene, one that I am investigating."

Wright rubbed his chin in thought, trying not to stare. "Investigating…? Does that mean you work for…whoever's investigating this murder?"

The woman gave another bounce, sticking her nose up. "You are correct! I am Marjoly, head detective of the Twilight Peace Corps.!" A third bounce. "You should do your best to worship me, little boy, or I'll find a crime to arrest you for."

("Oh man…_this _is the Netherworld's idea of a detective? Gimme a break…")

"Marjoly…" Etna muttered before snapping her fingers. "Wait a minute, I thought I recognized you! You're that human sorceress who's always messing up, right? The old bag who always goes after young men?"

Much to Wright's consternation, Marjoly heard Etna. The self-proclaimed detective shot the smaller girl a dirty look, literally crackling with fury.

"What. Did. You. Say?" Marjoly asked through gritted teeth.

Etna nodded. "Yep, it's pretty sad the way you're always throwing yourself at guys half your age."

("Etna, please! Stop talking!")

"Some men happen to _like _older, mature women!" Marjoly hissed, before smirking nastily. "More than they like flat-chested little girls!"

Wright knew in an instant that Marjoly had hit a nerve. Now it was Etna's turn to start seething with rage. Wright looked around for something that could defuse the situation…or hide in while the sparks flew.

"At least I don't need six pounds of make-up just to hide my wrinkles!" Etna snapped, her eyes glowing red.

"You'll be lucky to live long enough to get wrinkles!" Marjoly snarled, purple lightning dancing on her fingers.

("Oh, man…if these two start fighting, they might wreck the crime scene… I've got to stop this somehow!") Wright thought in a panic. He noticed the badge on Marjoly's coat, pointed and quickly asked, "Er, ah, what's that?"

Marjoly stopped just as she was about to hit Etna with a spell. Looking at Wright, she cocked her head. "What's what? My badge?"

"Uh, yes!" Wright said, "I mean, what is the Twilight Peace Corps.?"

Marjoly blinked, then chuckled. "Oh, you don't know? Where have you been all this time?"

("In my office, where monsters don't exist…")

"The Twilight Peace Corps. Is a new organization dedicated to maintain peace and justice throughout the worlds," Marjoly explained, bouncing again. "We act as a neutral party for…delicate situations such as this."

"What makes you a neutral party?" Wright asked, actually becoming interested.

"For one thing, I'm human," Marjoly replied, "But my skill with the black arts is so great that there are those that liken them with demons."

"You're human?" Wright asked.

"Amazed, are we?" Marjoly asked, eying Wright. "I don't blame you. I _have _been compared with a goddess before. In fact…" Music began to start up. "_I am mightier than the god / the devil is my slave / more beautiful than the goddess…_"

"Is…is she _singing?_" Wright asked, flummoxed.

Etna shrugged. "Yeah, she does that sometime. I hear that the people in her homeland like to burst randomly into song," She grinned. "Don't ask me why."

Wright glanced over to Marjoly. The so-called detective was completely wrapped up on her solo, and a small army of little cat-people in dresses were acting as a back-up chorus. He found himself thinking about the time during a case he and Maya visited a private investigator's office, and discovered that he had composed his own theme music. He also found himself noticing the split in Marjoly's cape, exposing her barely-covered backside.

"She's not paying attention to us," Wright noted, looking away. "So why don't we take a look around while Marjoly's, um, busy?"

Looking around, Wright's attention once again fell to the dark stains near the outline. Looking closely, he noticed a faint aroma, one that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

"Hey, Etna, what do you suppose this is?" He asked, pointing at the stains.

Etna frowned, and bent down for a closer look. After a few moments of staring, she sniffed the air. She stood back up, a quizzical expression on her face.

"I'm not sure…" She murmured, "I mean, I feel like I've seen that stuff somewhere before, but I can't figure where…"

Wright may not have had any idea what the stains were, but seeing as they were near where the body had been found, he would have to assume they were important. He added them to the crime scene. Looking around, he once again couldn't help but marvel at how clean the room was. If it wasn't for the chalk outline, he would never have guessed it to be a murder scene.

"This room's pretty neat, wouldn't you say?" Wright asked Etna.

"Hmm? Well, I guess it's pretty nice," Etna conceded, "A bit cheap, but…"

"No, no, I mean how clean it is," Wright said, "I mean, shouldn't a murder scene look a bit more…scuffed?"

"Well, if there was a struggle, yeah," Etna shrugged, "But if the Prince did it, then it was probably a one-hit KO."

("…Aren't we supposed to be proving he _didn't _do it?")

TING

("Hm? What was that?")

Wright found his eye being drawn to the papers in the corner. They a pink and thin kind, like the ones used to wrap up chocolates. Near the papers, however, was something much more interesting- a white feather. When Wright picked it up, the feather began to catch and reflect the light, almost sparkling.

"Oh, an angel's feather," Etna commented, "Those are pretty rare in the Netherworld. Since angels normally don't visit us."

"Then what is one doing here?" Wright asked.

Etna shrugged. "Um, hello? An angel was staying here, remember? It probably belonged Tramus, and fell off when he died."

"I suppose, but let's hold on to it anyway." Wright muttered, and added feather to the court record.

Meanwhile, Marjoly's song was just about done. As her singing cat choir finished the last lyrics ("_Maaarjoly, you're the evil beauty / We bow down to you eternally!_"), the witch detective struck a pose, as if expecting applause. Remembering where she was, Marjoly opened her eyes, and saw Wright and Etna huddled in the corner.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing there?" She demanded.

Lawyer and Demon Lord jumped up and faced Marjoly, smiling rigidly. Wright kept his hands behind his back, hoping to hide the angel feather from sight.

"Who, us? We're, ah, we're…" Wright wracked his mind for an answer and blurted, "…cleaning up!"

Etna's smile dropped and she looked at Wright. "We're what?"

Stuffing the feather in his pocket, Wright bent down again and began to shuffle the papers on the floor around.

"Just thought we'd help tidy up a bit," The defense attorney continued, "If that's all right with you, I mean."

The witch detective gave Wright an odd look before shrugging. "It makes no difference to me if you want to carry some dirty wrappers with you. We've already completed our investigation."

"You have?" Etna asked, "Then what are you doing here? Playing hooky?"

Marjoly bounced again, laughing evilly. "Ohhhh-hoh-hoh-hoh-hoh! Hardly! I heard that our main suspect, that half-pint Overlord, hired an attorney to collect evidence to defend him with! I'm waiting for him to arrive, so I can finish him off! Ohhh-hoh-hoh-hoh-hoh!"

Wright began to sweat. ("What kind of detective is she?")

"Sooo, you're on the lookout for a defense attorney, huh?" Etna grinned, "Would you believe-"

"Ah-ah, we should get going!" Wright cut in frantically, and grabbed Etna's hand. Dragging her out the door, he called over his shoulder, "It was nice meeting you, bye!"

-AAD-

"Etna, what are trying to do, get me killed?" Wright demanded once the two of them were in the lobby.

Etna shrugged. "I wanted to see how she would react. And don't worry," She continued under Wright's heated glare. "I could've handled her in a fight."

Wright groaned, slumping. Out of all of his cases, this one would go down in history as the most life threatening. He heard the sound of footsteps approaching, and looked up to see Flonne coming towards them.

"Hi, guys!" The fallen angel greeted cheerfully, "How did the investigation go?" Her eyes became flames. "I bet you found something super-decisive, right!"

"Not really," Etna replied, "All we got were these stupid wrappers and a feather."

Flonne cocked her head. "Oh?"

Wright showed Flonne the papers he had found.

"Hmm, those are what we wrap our hotel's Devil Food Cakes in," Flonne explained, "They're a special treat you can only get here. They're made from chocolate pudding from the Sea of Gehenna. They're our most popular snack!"

"Really?" Etna asked, her eyes going wide. She smacked her lips. "Mm, if they're from the Sea of Gehenna, they _must _be good. I want one!"

"Sorry, but you can only get them through room service." Flonne replied.

"Crud!"

("I guess even demons can have sweet tooths…er, teeth.") Wright thought, and tucked that information away for later. Taking out the feather, he held up to Flonne for inspection. "What do you make of this? Is it an angel's feather?"

Flonne took the feather and inspected it. After a moment, she nodded. "That's right. Only a high-ranking angel's wings can have a feather like this."

"So? What's the big deal?" Etna drawled, "Tramus probably lost it when he was killed, right?"

Flonne shook her head. "No, that's impossible. This feather came from a smaller pair of wings than the kind Lord Tramus had."

"Do wings differ from person to person?" Wright asked.

"Yes. The higher rank you have in the Celestial Host, the larger your wings are," Flonne answered, "Angel Trainees have the smallest wings, while the Seraph has the largest."

"Do you know what kind of angel left this feather?" Wright asked, intrigued.

Flonne squinted at the feather, but after a few seconds, shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I can't tell exactly. I'll I can say for certain is that whoever this was, they were either an Advanced Angel or an Intermediate Angel."

"I still don't get what the big deal is," Etna interjected, starting to feel left out. "I mean, if the feather didn't come from Tramus, then it must have fallen off of an assistant of his."

"But Lord Tramus came alone," Flonne countered, "I know, because I checked the hotel's log."

Wright added the hotel's log data to the court record. He then asked, "Flonne, if you could, please tell us everything you know about what happened on the day of the murder. Even the smallest detail could lead us to the truth."

"Okay!" Flonne nodded, getting excited.

**FLONNE'S TESTIMONY : What happened in the hotel.**

"First, I arrived here at 5:30 AM on the dot." Flonne began.

"_**HOLD IT!**_"

"Eek!" Flonne cried, jumping.

"Um, sorry," Wright apologized, "But isn't 5:30 in the morning a bit…too early?"

"It is, but we had to arrive early for then," Flonne explained, "You see, the day in question was Prinny Day, so most of the hotel's staff was absent."

"'Prinny Day'?" Wright asked, "What's that?"

"The worst day in the Netherworld," Etna groused, "It's the annual holiday for Prinnies all over the Netherworld. Every year, those stupid Prinnies goof off and refuse to do anything they're told," She clentched her fist as her eyes turned red. "One of those little jerks even had the gall to throw toilet paper at me!"

"Um, right," Wright said, sweating at Etna's rage. "Sooo…those weird little penguins had the day off?"

Flonne nodded. "That's right. And since the hotel mostly employs nothing but Prinnies, because they're so cheap, the only people left in the hotel were the manager, the new girl, and myself."

"Are you sure it was Prinny Day on the day of the murder?"

"Yes," Flonne replied, and held out a flyer. "Here's an old poster I was cleaning up."

Phoenix took the flyer. For some reason it showed a Prinny on a seesaw. "Only three people in the entire hotel…" Wright mused, pocketing it. "Must have been rough."

"Yes, it would have been," Flonne conceded, "Luckily, the only guest we had at the time was Lord Tramus, so things worked out okay."

("Aside from your only guest getting killed…")

"The new girl and I, Miss Bird, first baked today's batch of Devil Food Cakes in the kitchen," Flonne continued, "After we were done with that, I went to do the laundry while Miss Bird watched the front desk. After I finished folding the towels, I went to take over for her at 5:39 PM."

"What time did this Miss Bird start her shift at the front desk?" Wright asked.

"About 8:15 AM." Flonne answered.

"Who was watching the desk before her?"

At this, Flonne looked blank. "Uh…I don't know…"

("So, for all we know, the entrance wasn't watched until 8:15…")

"My shift had barely started when that rude Marjoly woman just burst in," Flonne said angrily, "She cried, 'Where is the criminal?' and ran up the stairs. She soon came back down with Laharl in handcuffs. Sir Laharl looked like he was about to start a fight, but I convinced him to settle down until everything could be resolved…but now it looks like he might be convicted of murder!" Looking sad for a few moments, she asked, "And that's all I know, Mr. Wright. Was that helpful?"

"Yes it was," Wright replied, "But before I leave, I would like to speak with the other two you mentioned- the hotel's manager and Miss Bird, whoever they are."

"I'm sorry, but you can't," Flonne said, "The manager is out on business, and Miss Bird, well…isn't in the mood to talk right now," At Wright and Etna's expectant looks, Flonne said, "You see, earlier today, she broke some dishes in the kitchen, and when the manager yelled at her, she had a bit of a breakdown."

"Oh, well, I guess we shouldn't bother her, then," Wright said, and turned to Etna. "Let's go back to the castle. I want to talk to Laharl."

"Oh! Hold a moment, please!" Flonne cried, and ducked behind the front desk. After a moment, she stood up, holding an object wrapped in the same papers Wright found in Tramus' room. "Could you please give this to Laharl? I haven't seen him since his arrest, and I'm terribly worried about him."

Wright took the parcel from Flonne. "I'll be sure to do that," Turning to Etna, he said, "Let's go."

-AAD-

Returning to the Overlord' Castle, Wright and Etna found Laharl waiting for them in the Shop.

"So?" The young Overlord asked, "Did you find anything decisive."

"I wouldn't call it 'decisive,'" Wright admitted, "But, at the very least, I think I can take some of the suspicion off of you."

Laharl grumbled. "That's a start, I _guess_."

"You should be lucky we found anything at all," Etna retorted, "That stupid witch Marjoly was there. Would you believe _she's _heading the investigation? What a ditz!"

A feral growl escaped Laharl. "Tell me about it. That…" He shuddered. "…bouncing bimbo is the one who accused me in place. Once this stupid trial is over, I'll be giving her something to think about!"

Laharl clenched his fist, causing it to crackle with fire. Wright took a step back, hoping not to get burned. Something jostled in his jacket, and he remembered the gift Flonne gave him.

"Before I forget, I have something for you." Wright said, and presented Laharl with the parcel.

Calming down, Laharl took the item. After inspecting it, he unwrapped it to reveal a light-brown small cake with multiple 'horns' Wright hoped were just chocolate chips sticking out.

"Yeah!" Laharl whooped, and practically inhaled the cake. "Devil Food Cake! Mmm, so good!" A strange, silly grin broke out on the demon's face as he went into a sweet-induced ecstasy. "Where did you get one of these…?"

"_Flonne_ gave it to us," Etna said, grinning cheekily. "She wanted us to make sure you got it, because she felt _sooo_ sorry for you, and was _sooo_ worried, what with your upcoming trial and all," As Laharl froze, Etna continued. "I bet she would have _loved _to give to you personally, though. Maybe she'll do that after the trial. You'd _looove_ that, wouldn't you?"

"_F-fool!_" Laharl exploded, "There's no time for that kind of nonsense! Who cares about that stupid Love Freak anyway!"

("Whoa… His face is turning so red it almost looks like a tomato…with antenna. I wonder if he has a crush on Flonne?") Shaking his head, Wright decided Laharl would be grateful for a change in the subject. "Laharl, before I forget, could you tell me what you were doing on the day of the murder?"

Still a bit flushed, Laharl shot Wright a look. "What for? I already told you I didn't do it."

"That won't be enough, though," Wright explained, "If I'm going to defend your case, I need to know what your case is. So I'll need a detailed description of _why _you didn't kill Tramus."

Frowning, Laharl seemed to acknowledge Wright's reasoning. After taking a moment to collect his thoughts, the Overlord said, "Okay, but I'm only saying this once, so pay attention. And no interruptions!"

("But I _like _making interruptions…")

**LAHARL'S TESTIMONY: What I did**

"I woke this morning at 9:30 AM," Laharl began, "I remember, because that's when they show _Early Morning Maulings _on Netherworld cable network."

("You can get cable in the Netherworld?")

"After I had my breakfast, I went about my usual Overlord duties," Laharl continued, "Bossing the vassals around, figuring out which up-and-coming Demon Lords needed to be put down, laughing nefariously…normal stuff."

Wright began to sweat. ("None of that sounds normal.")

"At about…5:25 PM, I got this weird letter, telling me to go see Tramus in his room at the Gates Hotel," Laharl said, "When I got there, the lights were off. I turned them on, and saw Tramus' body lying on the floor! Before I could do anything, that idiot Marjoly shows up and cries, 'So, a murderer, eh?' and cuffs me. Woulda killed her for it, but Flonne told me to," He spoke in a mocking falsetto. "'Try and talk this out rationally.' Now I'm caught up in this stupid trial I could have avoided!"

Ignoring Laharl fury, Wright asked, "So, you were summoned to Tramus' room? That's why you were at the crime scene?"

Laharl nodded. "That's right."

"Can I see this letter?"

Laharl shook his head. "Can't find it. If I could, I would've shown it to those moronic 'Twilight Peace Corps.' And gotten this straightened out."

"Are you sure it isn't just lying in your room somewhere?" Etna asked, "I mean, it's so messy in there you could've lost _Atlantis _and no one would find it."

Laharl growled. "Yes, I'm sure it isn't in my room. I just checked."

("So, in full, the only solid evidence we have is a feather and some wrappers. Should I start crying now or after the trial?") At that thought, Wright realized he was missing another crucial piece of information. "Actually, this just occurred to me, but, when is your trial?"

"Didn't Etna tell you?" Laharl asked, "It's in two hours. Get some rest, then meet me at the Dark Assembly meeting room at seven."

Wright's brain stalled. When it finally re-ignited, an exasperated cry echoed throughout the castle.

"WHAAAAAT?" ("Yup, crying right now sounds good!")

**Episode 2**

_End_

Court Record

-Defense Attorny's badge: My symbol as a defense attorney. I hope I don't lose it…

-Defense Investigation Bill: Permission from the Dark Assembly to investigate the crime scene. At least, that's what I hope it says. The writing's kind of illegible.

-Passports: These passports belonged to the Vato Bros. Apparently, they live in a place called, 'Evil Academy.'

-Angel Feather: Found at the crime scene. It came from a feather different from Tramus.

-Devil Food Cake Wrappers: These papers once contained Gates Hotel's exclusive Devil Food Cakes.

-Prinny Day flyer: The Prinnies get only one day off a year…glad I'm not them!

-Laharl: My client, and the brattiest demon you will meet. He's been accused of killing an angel.

-Etna: Laharl's, and mine, less-than-trusted assistant. I wonder what her true agenda is…

-Tramus: The victim. He was a high-ranking angel from Celestia when alive.

-Vato Bros: Churro, Chewie, and Cholo are three orcs with nothing better to do than harass people. They rely on their lackeys FAR too much.

-Flonne: One of Laharl's friend, a ditzy Fallen Angel. How can someone so sweet be friends with that brat? I'm jealous!

-Marjoly: The detective investigating the murder. She's human, but has demonic powers. Don't make fun of her age.

(A/N: A note about Marjoly- while those who only play Disgaea games know her as a bonus boss, Marjoly made her debut another Nippon-Ichi Software game called _Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure_. That game stands out as in between gameplay, characters really _do _launch into a song. In fact, Marjoly's song in the hotel is the one she sings in the game. I like Marjoly for her crazy, flamboyant personality, and I thought she'd make a good stand-in Gumshoe's incompetent-officer role. The alternative was CAPTAIN GORDON, DEFENDER OF EARTH, but I like him too much to put in that spot. Plus, I don't think he fits the Prosecution –first thing Gumshoe has, while the antagonistic Marjoly would GLADLY go along with the prosecution…especially if it means working with Edgeworth.)

**Etna: **A terrible plague has swept the Netherworld!

**Wright: **Plague? What plague?

**Etna: **Thousands have already perished, and those who haven't suffer from boils, rashes, and sonic diarrhea!

**Wright: **Ewwww…that's disgusting!

**Etna: **Even Phoenix Wright, famed piano-player, has become infected!

**Wright: **I'm not sick! Or a piano-player!

**Etna: **The only doctor who can help him is Etna, legendary surgeon of death!

**Wright: **Don't come near me with that scalpel! Stay back, I'm armed!

**Etna: **Can Etna defeat the four heavenly kings of the Netherworld medical board and become the queen of the operating room?

**Wright: **Queen? What happened to saving me?

**Etna: **Next time on _Nether Naughty Nurse_, final episode! 'HMO FYI, Dood!'

**Wright: **Great…now I really _do _feel sick.

**Laharl: **You better not. You've gotta defend me in court!


	3. Disorder In The Court

"…I'm still unsure about all this, to be honest. It sounds a bit dangerous."

Seraph Lamington nodded serenely. "I understand your concerns. I assure you, you will be well protected during your time here. All I ask is that you do what you have been trained for."

"But…why me? I have nothing to do with what's happening!"

"That is precisely why I have chosen you for this duty," Lamington replied, "As an outside party, you can make a fair, unbiased ruling."

"Hmm…I can't argue with your logic there."

Lamington smiled faintly. "And do not be afraid. You will not be truly alone…"

**Episode 3**

_Disorder in the Court_

October 6, 6: 56 PM_

Overlord's Castle Shop_

Wright stood outside the entrance to the Dark Assembly, wringing his hands nervously. The short nap he had taken was probably the least relaxing moment of his life. A good hour an 5 minutes of nightmares, all involving a demonic courtroom where the judge was three hundred feet tall and breathed fire, while the prosecution wielded a whip of thorns, dressed like dominatrix…and looked suspiciously like Franziska von Karma, only with horns and a tail.

("Man… I haven't felt so nervous since my first case... Okay, deep breaths, Wright, pull yourself together. You can do this…I hope…")

"Hey, Wright, good to see you're here." A cheeky voice called out.

Wright turned, and saw Laharl, flanked by Etna and Flonne walking up to him. Etna had one of her not-so-sincere smiles on her face. Laharl's face was neutral, though Wright had trouble telling, as half of it was buried in his oversized scarf. Flonne, however, had the unmistakable frown of worry planted on.

"For a moment, we almost thought you were gonna bail on us." Etna went on.

"I never abandon a client before the trial," Wright replied, putting on a strong front. ("Besides, I don't think I could escape this place on my own.")

"Are you all right, Mr. Wright?" Flonne asked, "You look sort of sweaty…you're not getting a fever, are you?"

"I'm fine," Wright explained hurriedly, wiping his brow. "Just a bit warm, that's all."

"Never mind that," Laharl cut in, "Wright, are you prepared?"

"As much as I can be on short notice," Wright admitted, "A lot of it will depend on what kind of evidence is presented by the prosecution."

"Hmmf…I suppose that'll have to do," Laharl muttered, "Let's just hope the prosecutor's as dumb as that boob-bouncing detective."

("Is it me, or did he look ill saying that?") Wright wondered, when a thought occurred to him. "Just wondering, do you know who the prosecutor is? Another demon?"

"Nope," Etna replied, "Get this, both the prosecutor _and _the judge are from your world!"

"Wha- really?" Wright asked, shocked. ("Who else has been kidnapped?")

"In order to assure that Sir Laharl receives a fair trial, Seraph Lamington sent for the most neutral judge in the universe," Flonne explained. She tapped her lip as her eyes went blank. "I don't know who the prosecutor is, though…"

("Maybe its Edgeworth,") Wright thought, bringing to mind his former schoolmate. ("After all, he was once known as the 'Demon Prosecutor'…maybe this Lamington person took it literally.")

"I know who it is," Etna said, "After all, the guy used to be part of the Prinny Squad."

"…What? How is that possible?" Wright asked, bewildered. "I mean, there aren't any of those penguin-things back home!" ("Or are there?")

"Well, of course there aren't any," Etna replied, "Not _yet_."

"What do you mean 'yet'?" Wright demanded, suspicious. Etna had a haughty look in her eyes, the kind only someone who knew an important secret knew. It was starting to annoy him.

"Well, Prinnies contain the souls of humans who lived bad lives or committed a mortal sin," Etna explained, "Once a human dies, their soul is sewn into a Prinny suit, and they're made to work off their misdeeds. Some do charity and volunteer work in Celestia, while most end up working for less-than-minimum wage here in the Netherworld."

"Wage? As in money?" Wright asked.

"Right," Etna continued, "Once they've worked enough, they're allowed to reincarnate at the Red Moon."

("That explanation only brings up further questions, but I don't think they're important,") Wright decided, and asked, "So, that means one of those Prinnies is working as a prosecutor, then?"

Etna screwed her face up in thought. "Actually…no," At the group's curious stares, she said, "From what I heard, some big-shot demon lord returned him to human form, so he'll be appearing in court as a normal spirit."

Laharl shook his head. "That's risky. This guy must be pretty confident in his prosecuting skills."

"Confident? That's putting it mildly!" Etna remarked sharply, "That blowhard kept going on about how he would always get a guilty verdict in under three minutes."

Wright felt himself go cold. ("Under three minutes…?")

"Yeah, and he did that for forty years before his death," Etna went on, "Imagine! Forty years of winning cases!"

"Wow… That sounds like a perfect record…" Flonne commented.

"If you believe it," Laharl said, shaking his head. "Sounds fishy to me- uh, are you okay?" The kid Overlord had finally noticed that Wright had gone several shades of green.

"No…I'm fine…" Wright said softly. ("It's a coincidence…it's coincidence…it's a coincidence…")

Wright felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around. Pleinair told him that the trial would begin shortly, and to step into the elevator/cage.

"Trial's about to start," Wright told the trio, "Is there anything I should know about the Netherworld's legal system, or should I just assume it's like Earth's, only full of fangs?"

Laharl glanced at Etna. "Etna, do you know what changes were made to our court system?"

Etna grinned. "Actually, it's not that bad. Apparently, all they've done is changed it to how the judge'll decide whether or not you're guilty."

Wright rubbed his chin in thought. "That sounds familiar…"

"But from what I've heard, the judge is so clueless that a trained monkey could manipulate him!" Etna laughed.

("That sounds _too _familiar!") Wright thought, sweating.

"Hey, don't worry about it. You're a _lawyer_, remember?" Etna assured, patting Wright on the back. "And I'll be there to help out."

"Let's get going," Laharl ordered, and climbed into the elevator. As the cage rose, he yelled, "And don't screw this up!"

"Good luck, Sir Laharl!" Flonne called up, "I'll be rooting for you!"

The cage lowered again, minus one Overlord. Wright and Etna went into it.

"Are you sure this thing is safe?" Wright asked.

"Relax, it's the safest elevator we've got in the castle," Etna assured, patting Wright on the back. "Nothing's going to go wrong. Trust me."

("That phrase sounds less trustworthy coming from you…") Wright thought. Before Wright could think more on the subject, the cage began to move- down. Wright barely had time to yell as he and Etna were dropped down a trapdoor.

-AAD-

October 6, 7:01 PM_

Dark Assembly Hall_

Somehow, despite going _down_, the elevator somehow managed to carry Wright and Etna to the room chosen for the trial. It was the meeting hall for the Dark Assembly. Most of the room, a good three-fourths, was filled with seats and desks for the assembly members, taken by demons in all shapes and colors. Oddly, what was most jarring about the collection of monsters wasn't so much their ghoulish and ghastly appearances, but how _blasé _they were about the proceedings. A vendor was making rounds selling popcorn and other snacks, while over the chatter Wright could hear someone giving odds. So far, they were 1-4 on Laharl's guilt. It was like they were waiting for a concert, or more suitably, a sporting competition to begin. Wright saw a mass of golden blond hair, and realized it was Flonne- and also wondered how she got into the hall before he did.

The rest of the hall was empty, save for a collection of desks. The one in the middle, where the judge was presumably going to sit at, was placed before the assembly seats. There was a hammer and a coaster sitting on one end, most likely to act as a gavel. The two desks placed at adjacent walls, opposite of each other, were most likely where the lawyers were supposed to be. The desk on the right, where Laharl was sitting, Wright could only expect was for the defense. Because the desk on the left had…

…_Manfred von Karma_. The most dangerous prosecutor Wright had ever encountered, and a legend among the courts. Von Karma treated every trial as a game- and played hardball. It didn't matter whether or not the defendant was innocent, Von Karma would do anything to ensure a guilty verdict. From instructing witnesses on what to say- or more specifically, what _not _to say- or withholding evidence that would damage his case, there was no low von Karma wouldn't stoop to. Cold-blooded and hard-hearted, von Karma was a dangerous mix of cunning, cruelty, and control- up until Wright had ousted him as the murderer of another defense attorney, von Karma had been long considered a god of prosecutors. But he had died in prison after that fateful trial…

(PLAY _PHOENIX WRIGHT: ACE ATTORNEY _FOR MORE DETAILS, DOOD!)

("I knew it…") Wright thought, sweating buckets as tears almost came to his eyes. ("This place _is _hell, after all…")

Von Karma looked no different at the Netherworld's prosecutor's desk than he did in Earth's. Standing impeccably straight, in his ruffled, detailed uniform, like a member of some European military aristocrat, he exuded an aura of chilling perfection.

Chilling?

Wright then noticed that there _was _something different about von Karma. While von Karma's appearance was identical to the one he had while alive, there was now a transparent tone to it- if Wright looked hard enough, he could see _through _von Karma and at the wall behind him. He also noticed a crumpled heap of blue and white fabric. Weird.

A Prinny standing by the main desk cleared its throat. "Attention, dood! The trial's about to start, so, uh, would you please rise for the honorable judge…um, the honorable judge, uh, Judge What's-his-name, dood!"

Wright forgot all about von Karma's new state of being. ("Judge 'What's-his-name'?")

The wall behind the desk opened up, and out stepped a familiar figure. Dressed in the traditional judge's black robes was an elderly man with a bald head and a white beard that would make Santa Claus proud. It was a face that Wright had become very familiar with.

("It's the Judge!") Wright thought, standing to attention. ("Judge…") He began to sweat. ("What _is _his name?")

The Judge of Courtroom number 3 of the district Wright defended in sat down at the desk. He gave the hammer an odd look, before producing a gavel from within his robes. He banged it once.

"The court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Laharl." The Judge began.

"That's _King _Laharl, baldy!" Laharl shouted, and got elbowed by Etna.

"Not important right now, Prince!" She hissed.

"The defense is ready, you're honor." Wright said, hoping he was looking more confident than he felt.

Von Karma said nothing.

The Judge blinked. "Why, it _is _you, Mr. Wright! It's quite a nice surprise to see you here. And…_Mr. von Karma? _I thought you were dead!"

("That's not very tactful…") Wright thought, and asked, "Um, your honor, are you aware of this trial's…um, extenuating circumstances?"

The Judge nodded. "Oh, yes, that nice angel told me everything. I don't think I fully understood all of it…"

("Big surprise.")

"…But if there's a trial to be held, then I'm the man to preside over it!" The Judge finished with a determined look in his eye.

("Well, I'm glad _someone's _excited…")

"May we please begin?" Von Karma asked, his arms crossed and his eyes closed. "I have a guilty verdict to achieve."

"Oh! Um, of course." The Judge replied, looking slightly mollified. "You may make your opening statement."

("Looks like your time in the Netherworld hasn't changed you at all, von Karma…")

Opening his eyes, von Karma said, "Within three minutes, I will prove to this court that the defendant, Overlord Laharl, is nothing more than a murderer!"

There was a slight buzz from the assembly.

"So?"

"Are we supposed to be surprised?"

"He _is _the Overlord."

"In the Gates Hotel, a visitor to the Netherworld, a diplomat, was brutally murdered in his own room," Von Karma continued, "The culprit was none other than Overlord Laharl! And I shall prove it! I have brought with me the perfect witnesses and evidence that will seal his fate-" He snapped his fingers. "Forever!"

The Judge nodded. "Very well. You may call upon your first witness."

Much to Wright's shock, the first 'perfect witness' was none other than Marjoly. Remembering her subtle death threat from the hotel, the blue suited attorney wanted very much to hide under his desk.

"Witness," Von Karma said, "Please state your name and occupation."

But Marjoly wasn't paying attention to von Karma. Her gaze was locked on Wright, who was trying and failing to be inconspicuous.

"Well, well, well…" She purred, "So _you _were the attorney."

Wright rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, well…sorry for not sharing."

"Don't think you'll get away with this," Marjoly continued, "No man fools Marjoly and lasts…"

"Witness," Von Karma growled, "Name and occupation."

Marjoly gave von Karma a nasty look before clearing her throat. "I am Marjoly, detective for the Twilight Peace Corps."

"Can you please tell the court about the murder of Ambassador Tramus of Celestia on the night before last?"

"Of course," Marjoly nodded, and threw her head back. "Watch closely and observe the beautiful investigating skills of the Netherworld's most glamorous detective! Ohhh-hoh-hoh-hoh-hoh!"

"Well, she's an eager beaver, huh?" Etna commented.

Wright was too busy sweating to answer. ("I just wanted to go on vacation…")

**MARJOLY'S TESTIMONY: An Angel's death**

"The Celestial ambassador arrived at the Gates Hotel on the day of the murder at 3:00 PM," Marjoly explained, "Upon his arrival, he kept mostly to his room, not seeing anybody. Later on, the Twilight Peace Corps received word of his death. I was dispatched to investigate the scene. At his room, I discovered none other than our half-pint Overlord standing over the victim's prone body, with the murder weapon in his hand!"

"Here is the weapon used to kill the victim." Von Karma said, and displayed a wooden pole with a broken end. The broken end had some slight red and purple blotches.

"There's that smell again…" Etna muttered.

"Upon examination of the room, we came to the conclusion that the murderer did not break into Tramus' dwellings," Marjoly continued, "And from the fact that no one except Laharl had gone near the ambassador's room, we decided that he was clearly the culprit," She chuckled, "As if that wasn't already obvious!"

"A room no one else has been in," Von Karma said, "The weapon in his hand…" He snapped his fingers. "Is there any doubt that it was the defendant who committed the murder?"

("There will be when I'm done,") Wright thought, ("You can count on that, von Karma!")

"The defense may now begin their cross-examination." The Judge said.

**CROSS-EXAMINATION: An Angel's death**

"_The Celestial ambassador arrived at the Gates Hotel on the day of the murder at 3:00 PM. Upon his arrival, he kept mostly to his room, not seeing anybody. Later on, the Twilight Peace Corps received word of his death."_

"_**HOLD IT!**_" Wright interrupted, "At what time _exactly _was the murder reported?"

Marjoly gave Wright a nasty look. "About 4:023 PM."

("According to Flonne, this woman arrived at the hotel at 5:39… Wait,") Wright began to sweat. "It took you _an hour and a half _to reach the site? What were you doing?"

Marjoly shrugged. "Putting on make-up, of course. A woman's got to make herself presentable when going out into the world. Does it matter?"

"Yes, it matters!" Wright cried, exasperated. "In that time, the real murderer could have escaped, leaving Laharl-"

"_**OBJECTION!**_" Manfred von Karma boomed, "The defense will not criticize the head investigator. That is not relevant to this case."

The Judge nodded. "I am inclined to agree, though I share Mr. Wright's feelings on this matter."

Wright slumped. ("Wonderful. The one time the Judge is on my side, and it makes no difference!")

"Continue with the cross-examination." The Judge ordered.

"_I was dispatched to investigate the scene. At his room, I discovered none other than our half-pint Overlord standing over the victim's prone body, with the murder weapon in his hand!"_

"_**HOLD IT!**_ You are referring to the evidence prosecutor von Karma displayed, correct?" Wright asked.

Marjoly gave him an irritated look. "Of course it's what the old fogey showed you. What do you think I am, stupid?"

("Yes, but that's never been a deterrent in the courts I work in…") Wright thought, and said, "I'm only checking to make sure…because there's no way this pole could have been used as a weapon!"

The demons in the audience began to chatter wildly. The Judge brought his gavel down several times.

"Order! Order!" the Judge ordered.

"I'll admit, the end of the wood is pointy, and I don't think I'm mistaken in assuming these red spots is the victim's blood," Wright said, "But I have trouble accepting that this item was used to kill anyone, much less a high-ranking angel!"

The demons kept chattering, and the Judge kept banging his gavel.

"Nice call." Etna remarked, impressed.

But Wright shook his head. "This trial won't end that easily. Von Karma'll be able to counter that easily."

"Then what was the point!" Etna hissed.

"The way prosecutors like von Karma work is that they only show evidence that will help their case," Wright explained, "The only way to get all the facts is to nitpick at the details. But don't worry, bit by bit, the truth will reveal itself!"

"Does the prosecution have any response to the defense' claims?" The Judge asked.

Von Karma nodded. "I do. And as it happens, I agree with Mr. Wright. This stick cannot do fatal damage to anyone."

("…_**WHAT?**_")

"However, what I've presented is not some mere quarterstaff," Von Karma went on, "In reality, this is a high-class brand of spear, very strong, and very expensive. The broken end was where the staff's head used to be."

"Then, why wasn't the head presented in court?" the Judge asked.

"Because it's still stuck in the body, baldy," Marjoly answered smugly, "We can't get it out. But that handle was attached to the spear-head. We checked."

"'Bit by bit', huh?" Etna asked.

Wright refused to be discouraged. "This trial isn't over yet!

"_Upon examination of the room, we came to the conclusion that the murderer did not break into Tramus' dwellings."_

"_**HOLD IT!**_ Are you sure about that?" Wright asked, "What exactly is the basis of your conclusion?"

"Because there were no signs of the room being broken into," Marjoly explained, "None of the windows had shown signs of being opened, and the door's lock hadn't been broken."

"Perhaps the defense is suggesting that the murderer didn't use the door or windows," Von Karma mocked, "Are you going to tell us there was a secret passage, Mr. Wright?"

"Err…" Wright racked his brains for a response. Glancing at Etna, he hit upon inspiration. "No, murderer might have used an entrance doesn't exist! That's how the investigation couldn't find it!"

"If it doesn't exist, how could it be used?" the Judge asked, "Mr. Wright, that is a huge contradiction!"

"Portals, your honor," Wright explained, "It is entirely possible that the murderer opened a portal to the ambassador's room."

"A novel theory," Von Karma commented, "Except, the hotel has a special spell cast over it that prevents people from entering except through the entrance," he smirked. "And only Tramus and Laharl were seen using it."

Wright groaned. ("So much for that theory…")

"Witness, you may continue." The Judge said.

"_And from the fact that no one except Laharl had gone near the ambassador's room, we decided that he was clearly the culprit. As if that wasn't already obvious!"_

"_**OBJECTION!**_" Wright stood up quickly. "Madam detective, there is a clear contradiction in your testimony!"

Marjoly blinked. "What?"

"'No one had gone near the ambassador's room'?" Wright repeated questioningly, "I'm sorry to say that that statement is false."

"What are you babbling now?" Von Karma demanded, "Only Laharl had been seen going to Tramus' room. Him and no one else!"

Wright shook his head. "And that just proves the validity of my theory. 'No one had been seen going to Tramus' room.' If we turn that around, wouldn't that mean that someone could sneak in unnoticed?"

The audience began to chatter again.

"I like that…!"

"Cunning…!"

"Turning around? I don't get it…"

"Bah!" Von Karma snarled, "This is just more pointless babble, to buy time! How could anyone sneak in?"

"Mr. Wright, do you have any evidence to back up your claims?" The Judge asked.

Wright nodded. "I do," He pulled out the Prinny Day poster. "Ladies and gentle…monsters of the court, this is a poster for the Prinnies annual day-off, Prinny Day. If you will check the date, you will see that it was held on the day of the murder. According to an employee at the Gates, the hotel's staff is mostly made up of Prinnies."

The Judge blinked. "Which means…what does that mean?"

("Next time, bring a clue, not a gavel!") Wright though exasperatedly, and composed himself. "What it means, your honor, is that the Gates Hotel was all but empty on the day of the murder! Except for the victim, two non-Prinny employees, and the manager, there was _no one else inside the hotel,_" He pointed dramatically. "It should be easy for someone to sneak in!"

The demons began to chatter wildly again. Wright had the feeling they were viewing the trial like it was a boxing match, or a soap opera.

"_**OBJECTION!**_" Boomed von Karma, "'Sneak in'? I've let you talk for too long, Wright! How could someone sneak into the hotel, when we've established that it's impossible to get in without going past the front desk?" It was von Karma's turn to point. "Tell me, Mr. Wright, how come the desk clerk didn't see anyone else?"

But Wright refused to be daunted. Shaking his head, he said, "I didn't say the murderer snuck into the hotel. I was suggesting that someone could have snuck into _Tramus' room_."

Von Karma reeled back, as if physically struck. "Uhhhrrrgg!"

"Good call!" Etna giggled mischievously. "I suppose you wanna show off that feather now?"

"Not yet. I want that to be our trump card," Wright told her, "I've got one more card to play."

The Judge banged his gavel several times. "Order! Order! Order!"

"I'll have a chocolate milkshake, and a side of fries!" Someone from the audience cracked.

Once the noise had returned to a reasonable level, Wright decided to continue. "What's more, I have reason to believe that there was someone else with the victim inside his room."

"Well, what is it?" The Judge asked, "Come, don't keep us waiting!"

Wright nodded. "As you wish, you're honor."

With that, Wright displayed the wrappers he had found at the hotel. "_**TAKE THAT!**_"

The Judge blinked. "Those are…tissues?"

Von Karma snorted. "That's a kind gesture, Mr. Wright, but we don't need those right now."

"Actually, I've been feeling a bit stuffy for a while now…" The Judge admitted.

("Don't blow your nose on my evidence!") Wright shook his head and said, "Actually, these are the wrappings for a treat they serve at the Gates Hotel- Devil Food Cake. From what I hear, they're quite the treat."

"Hmm, and judging from the number of these wrappings, the victim must have thought so too…" The Judge mused.

"Yes, but these snacks aren't so easy to get. Only guests of the hotel are allowed to have them…" Wright explained, "…And only if you buy them through room service!"

The Judge blinked. "So?"

Wright began to sweat. ("C'mon! Is it that hard to figure out?") Composing himself, he said, "So, if Tramus had room service-specific food…" He pointed dramatically. "…Then someone had to bring it to him!"

"…Is that so?" Von Karma asked, "Well, let me offer my own theory as to how those wrappings ended up in the victim's room," He snapped his fingers. "He got them himself! And no one saw him because, as you said, the hotel was understaffed that day."

Wright's jaw dropped. ("He…he damaged my case with my own evidence!") Trying to regain steam, he said, "But…we don't know that for sure!"

"Yes, but we do know that Tramus received no room service," von Karma said, "Didn't you think we wouldn't check that first?"

Wright winced.

"What's more, we have evidence that there's no one anyone other than the Overlord could have killed Tramus," Von Karma went on, "That staff I mentioned before? It had been doused in liberal amounts of…Nether Venom X Mk II!"

Etna gasped. "Nether Venom X Mk II?"

"Nether Venom X Mk II?" The Judge exclaimed.

"…What's Nether Vonom X Mk II?" Wright asked, feeling left out of the loop.

The Judge frowned in thought. "…You know… I don't know!"

"It's a poison," Laharl said, "The worst the Netherworld has ever known. My old man had it all locked up in this case, and ordered that no more would be made."

"That explains why Tramus' room smelled familiar…" Etna muttered, "That stuff has a really persistent odor… Took me months to wash out…"

"I can see some of you are familiar with Nether Venom X Mk II," Von Karma said, "Then I don't need to tell you that the poison can only be accessed by the Overlord."

Wright gulped. ("No! This is not happening!")

"The weapon was coated with poison only the defendant could get!" Von Karma stated, "That, coupled with his presence at the crime scene, can only mean one thing… Laharl killed Tramus!"

More chattering. This time, it was more about how Laharl had such a terrible poison at his disposal, and whether or not any of them could get some for their own use…

"Order! Order!" The Judge cried, hammering his gavel. "Mr. von Karma! Are you absolutely sure?"

Von Karma nodded. "I am. The defendant's place at the time of the murder...the weapon he held that killed Tramus…and the use of venom forbidden to all but the Overlord…it all leads up to one thing," He snapped his fingers. "…His guilt!"

("Oh man, I've got to say something…anything!") Wright thought desperately, and slammed his palms down on his desk. "_**OBJECTION!**_ The…the defense would like to challenge the prosecution claims!"

"What do you mean, Mr. Wright?" the Judge asked.

"Yeah, aren't we already challenging the prosecutor?" Etna wondered.

"Shh!" Wright hissed, and tried to think and talk at the same time. "What…I mean…is that…how can we be certain that the poison used in the murder came from this castle?"

Von Karma crossed his arms irritably. "We checked, that's how. There is no other sample of Nether Venom X Mk II in all of the Netherworld…or Celestia, for that matter."

"Then…that's what I would like to challenge!" Wright yelled frantically, pointing. "The defense wishes to clarify whether or not the poison came from here!"

"And how would we do that?" Marjoly asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Wright replied, "Someone just needs to see if the poison in the castle has been taken."

The Judge nodded. "That seems fair enough. Very well."

Etna pointed at the Prinny standing next to the Judge. "You! Go down to the basement and check the giant keg wrapped in chains and surrounded by warning signs, now!"

"Yes sir, Master Etna, dood." The Prinny saluted and left the hall. An awkward silence followed as everyone waited for its return.

"I hope this works…" Wright muttered, wringing his wrists.

"_You _hope it works!" Laharl growled, "_I'm _the one on trial!"

"What I want to know is how some Nether Venom X Mk II got on that spear head," Etna confided, "I thought no one else had it since Prince got poisoned…"

"'Poison?'" Wright asked.

Before Wright could question Etna furthered, the Prinny returned. The little penguin-creature had one or two dust bunnies on its body.

"Well?" the Judge asked.

The Prinny coughed. "All the locks are still on, the signs still up…and there's a lotta dust, dood!"

Wright quickly leapt at this. "So what you're saying is the castle's poison hasn't been touched!"

"Looks that way, dood."

Von Karma's eye twitched. "Even so-"

"No poison was taken from the castle!" Wright declared, "The prosecution has established that Laharl is guilty because he used a toxin kept within these walls, but that is not possible! Coupled with the evidence that someone else visited Tramus' room before the murder was reported, that can only mean one thing…" He pointed. "Laharl is not the murderer!"

Von Karma scowled. "Then who is, Mr. Wright?"

Wright felt himself lose steam. "…Huh?"

"According to the Netherworld's judicial clause 666, 'Innocence can only be proven if someone else is guilty,'" Von Karma explained, "Unless you can finger another potential suspect, it looks like our half-pint Overlord will be convicted anyway."

"(W-w-w-WHAT? But that's…that's…") Wright then rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ("Actually, that doesn't sound much different than how my cases usually work…but it's still unfair!") Slamming his hands down, he shouted, "It's whoever brought the Devil Food Cakes, of course!"

"And who was that?" Von Karma asked.

Wright tried to find his voice. "I…I don't…" ("Should I bring out the feather?")

"Hmmm, this is indeed difficult."

Everyone looked towards the center of the court. The Judge had his head bowed, and his eyes closed in thought.

"The defendant was caught with the murder weapon…but it was coated with a poison he couldn't have accessed," The Judge mused, "And although no one else was seen near the crime scene, there are signs that Tramus was visited beforehand…" Lifting his head, he said, "I do not believe a verdict can be reached at this time."

Von Karma gritted his teeth and crossed his arms. He sent Wright a glare that, if possible, was more poisonous than Nether Venom X Mk II.

"I hereby order court to reconvene tomorrow at 7 PM," The Judge decided, slamming his gavel down. "That is all. Court is adjourned."

-AAD-

October 6, 9: 14 PM_

Overlord's Castle Shop_

"Boy, that was such a close trial," Flonne sighed, "But now it's over. I'm so relieved we made through it!"

"It's not over, you clueless Fallen Angel!" Laharl grunted, "I still haven't gotten my acquittal, yet!"

Wright knew that last sentence had been directed at him. "Sorry, but it's the best I could do for now. Just count yourself lucky the Judge gave us more time to build our case," he wiped his brow. "If I get up early in the morning, I should be able to solve this before the trial reconvenes."

Laharl grunted, but said, "I guess I have no choice but to wait then… Etna, get a room ready for Wright, here."

Etna shrugged. "No problem. We'll lay out a sleeping bag in the dungeon. There's nobody in there."

("What?") "Err, actually, I was hoping someone would drop me off at my office…" Wright tried to say, but Laharl cut him off.

"Forget it. You're not going anywhere until I get my acquittal," The Overlord said, and began to laugh. "Haaa-hahahaha!"

**Episode 2**

_End_

Court Record

-Defense Attorny's badge: My symbol as a defense attorney. I hope I don't lose it…

-Defense Investigation Bill: Permission from the Dark Assembly to investigate the crime scene. At least, that's what I hope it says. The writing's kind of illegible.

-Passports: These passports belonged to the Vato Bros. Apparently, they live in a place called, 'Evil Academy.'

-Angel Feather: Found at the crime scene. It came from a feather different from Tramus.

-Devil Food Cake Wrappers: These papers once contained Gates Hotel's exclusive Devil Food Cakes.

-Prinny Day flyer: The Prinnies get only one day off a year…glad I'm not them!

-Broken Spear: The weapon used to kill Tramus. The blade end is still stuck in the body, apparently.

-Nether Venom X Mk II: The most lethal poison the Netherworld has ever known. Found on the murder weapon.

-Laharl: My client, and the brattiest demon you will meet. He's been accused of killing an angel.

-Etna: Laharl's, and mine, less-than-trusted assistant. I wonder what her true agenda is…

-Tramus: The victim. He was a high-ranking angel from Celestia when alive.

-Vato Bros: Churro, Chewie, and Cholo are three orcs with nothing better to do than harass people. They rely on their lackeys FAR too much.

-Flonne: One of Laharl's friend, a ditzy Fallen Angel. How can someone so sweet be friends with that brat? I'm jealous!

-Marjoly: The detective investigating the murder. She's human, but has demonic powers. Don't make fun of her age.

-the Judge: Normally the overseer of the trials I take part in on Earth, he's been brought here to act as a neutral party.

-Manfred von Karma: The most fiendish prosecutor I've ever faced off against. Even though he died in the human world, his spirit lives on in the Netherworld. Should be a Prinny, apparently.

(A/N: Sorry it took so long for me to get this done. I was distracted by various things, had to take a while to plan out the court scene, the presentation of evidence, testimonies, and whatnot…I hope I got it right.

But I was mostly bummed because CAPCOM CANCELLED MEGAMAN LEGENDS 3! But we fans are still petitioning to get the project rolling again, so if you are a MegaMan Legends fan, go to Capcom's Devroom and sign up to become a Servbot! Please! Do it NOW NOW NOW!

Ahem, okay. Moving on…)

**Etna: **What a disaster! An army of lawyers from the planet Loophole are planning to invade the Netherworld!

**Wright: **So now lawyers are aliens?

**Etna: **But, whenever danger threatens, famed mobile suit pilot Etna the provocative leaps into action! After seducing the enemy leader with her charms, she is ready to take on the army! All 5,000 Phoenix Wright hyper-clones!

**Wright: **I've been cloned! And what makes them so hyper? Wait, seduce? Weren't you a pilot?

**Etna: **Next time on _Alluring Demon Wars _final episode! 'What Does The Doctor Say?'

**Judge: **My, what an imagination.

**Wright: **That's a nice way to put it…


	4. A Bird In The Hand

Daylight streamed through the window, filling the room with patches of illumination. By some odd coincidence, one of those patches was exactly where Wright's face was. After a minute of resisting, the defense attorney finally consented to the fact that it was morning, and he should get up.

("…Oh man, what a dream,") Wright thought, sitting up. ("Kidnapped by demons and made to defend their boss…and the prosecutor was Manfred von Karma! I'll never have old pizza again…")

"Mr. Wright, dood?"

Wright froze. Turning his head slowly, he looked at the Prinny standing in the doorway.

"Lord Laharl says that you've slept long enough, and that you should get back to work, dood." The Prinny told him, walking away once it was done.

Wright realized that he wasn't lying in a bed, but a sleeping bag- and one of poor quality at that. He also realized that the 'bedroom' was actually made of stone with moss growing here and there- with bars on the window.

"Ohhhh noooo…" Wright groaned, "It was real!"

**Episode 4**

A Bird In The Hand

October 7, 7:07 AM_

Overlord's Castle Shop.

After some initial wandering, Wright was able to find his way back to the Shopping Area. There, he encountered Etna, talking to a random Prinny.

"So, I want them to be daisy fresh when you're done," She was saying, "And don't even think about- Oh, hey Wright! Glad to see you're up!"

Wright smiled. Even though he wasn't completely happy to know that yesterday's events weren't a dream, it was nice to see a familiar face.

"Good morning!" A cheerful voice sang. Wright and Etna watched Flonne skip into the area. "And how are we today?"

"Hi, Flonne," Etna greeted, "I don't know about the lawyer, but I'm fine."

"Wait, aren't you supposed to be at the hotel?" Wright asked.

"It's my day off." Flonne replied.

Wright noticed that the castle was comparatively quiet. "And where's Laharl?"

"Oh, the Prince is sleeping in." Etna explained.

"Sl-sleeping in?" Wright exclaimed, "But he's still the main suspect of a murder! How can he sleep at a time like this?"

"Because proving he didn't do it is _your _job." Etna replied.

Wright winced. That familiar feeling of no respect was back again. It was, in hindsight, incredibly sad that such a feeling was familiar.

"So, with that in mind, what's your plan?" Etna asked.

Wright snapped out of his funk. "We're going back to the hotel. I want to talk to this 'Miss Bird' who fingered Laharl."

Etna shrugged. "Have fun with that."

Wright did a double-take. "Wait, what?"

"I've got to stay here and keep the castle in order," Etna explained, "You're on your own for this one."

"But…I can't go alone!" Wright cried, "What if I get attacked by those pigskin monsters again? What if something more dangerous than those pigskin monsters attack me? What if I get a fine? I need protection!"

"Boy, you sure whine a lot." Etna remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm just a lawyer!" Wright continued, "My greatest weapon is my mind! I can't fight the forces of evil _literally!_"

"Don't worry, Mr. Wright," Flonne cut in, "I'll go with you. We defenders of justice have to stick together!"

"Uh, thanks?" Wright said unsurely.

"And we won't be alone," Flonne went on, "I brought in _another _defender to help our cause. An actual Defender of Earth!"

("She looks so eager…why do I have a bad feeling about this?") Wright thought, and decided to just get it over with. "Who is it?"

Flonne smiled. "Come on out, Mr. Thursday!" her eyes fired up. "It's your time to shine!"

There was a sound of a motor running, and a new figure came out from the shadows.

Wright stared at the newcomer. "It's a…" He began to sweat. "…jukebox?"

"No! Mr. Thursday doesn't play music!" Flonne said fiercely, but then paused. Looking confused, she said, "Actually, that's an interesting thought. Mr. Thursday, can you play music?"

"AFFIRMATIVE, FLONNE," the 'jukebox' replied in an electronic voice, "PLEASE CHOOSE FROM LIST OF MP3 FILES. BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP."

Wright blanched. "It talked!"

"Mr. Thursday is an All-Purpose Super Robot, programmed to bring justice wherever he goes," Flonne explained, "Oh! Speaking of going, we're supposed to head towards the hotel, right? Come on, everyone! We won't find the evidence to clear Sir Laharl's name if we just stay here."

"ROGER. CONTACTING PORTAL KEEPER TO PREPARE FOR TRANSPORT TO HOTEL." Thursday replied, trundling away as Flonne skipped after him.

Wright watched them go, the expression of shock still on his face. He felt a pat on his back and knew at once that it was Etna. He also knew (Or at least, had a very good feeling) that Etna was smirking.

"Well, you heard the lady," Etna said cheekily, "Get to it!"

Wright forced himself to join Flonne and Thursday at the portal, wondering what other weird surprises the Netherworld would throw at him.

-AAD-

October 7, 7:08 AM_

Blair Forest_

Gates Hotel_

The portal dropped the three of them at the entrance of the hotel as it did the day before, when Wright was accompanied by Etna and her Prinnies. The hotel's appearance hadn't changed, but Wright couldn't help but wonder whether or not something should be different.

"Well, here we are," Wright said, and after a moment added, "Again."

"Hey, wait up, weddo!"

Wright found himself cringing as Flonne and Thursday turned to look. In spite his better judgement, Wright forced his head to point itself in that direction. Sure enough, the three little pig demons from yesterday were there, looking just as hopelessly menacing as before.

("Oh, lord, not these guys…") Wright thought, sweating. ("Just what I need.")

"Remember us, homes?" Cholo asked, patting his club into his other paw.

"I wish I couldn't." Wright groaned.

"_Si_, we're pretty unforgettable," Chewie remarked, "We got like, _muy mucho _charisma, ese!"

Flonne raised a finger. "Excuse me, but…who are you?"

The three demons fell over, hitting the ground with a collective WHAM!

"These are some monsters that attacked me and Etna yesterday." Wright explained.

"That's right!" Churro yelled, getting up. "We are the legendary Vato Bros.!"

"Vato Bros.?" Flonne asked, frowning cutely in thought.

"CHECKING DATABASE…BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP…" Thursday said, making actual computer noises. There was a sound like a bell ringing. "CHECK COMPLETE. NO ENTRY NAMED 'VATO BROTHERS' EXIST."

The Vato Bros. fell over again with yet another collective WHAM!

("Such high expectations…and yet so easy to dash…") Wright thought, slowly edging himself towards a tree to hide behind.

Getting up, Cholo said, "Yeah, well, when us and our friends get through with you guys, we'll be legendary for sure! _Muchachos!_"

Out from nowhere, over a dozen demons- some looked like walking scarecrows with pumpkins for heads, some were shambling undead creatures, and a few that looked like tree stumps with scowling faces.

"Okay, fellas…" Chewie said, and pointed his club at the trio. "_Attack!_"

The monsters lurched forward. As they got closer, Flonne held out a hand in the universal gesture for stop.

"Wait! You can't attack us!" She cried, "We're investigating a murder!"

"That's why we're attacking you, weddo!" Churro responded.

Flonne gasped. "You're knowingly obstructing justice! I won't let this stand!" She pointed. "Let's get 'em, Mr. Thursday!"

"ROGER," Thursday replied, "PREPARING FOR COMBAT."

Two spindly metallic arms sprang out from Thursday's side and gripped the ground. The robot's barrel-like body then flipped over to that its bottom was pointing directly at the Vato Bros. and their allies. A cannon barrel extended from it.

"COMBAT MODE INITIATED. ROBO-BAZOOKA READY TO FIRE," Thursday reported, "BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP."

Flonne nodded excitedly. "Okay! Now it's my turn! This is something I've been working on for a while…" She pulled out a staff and began to wave it around. "_Durian Dragon Dranyago!_"

The ground began to shake, and then something unexpected happened. Something that Wright, even after all he had seen in the Netherworld, could not have predicted.

The monstrous skeleton of some dinosaur-like creature burst from the ground, roaring in a voice that seemed to echo out from the abyss.

("Witchcraft!") Wright thought, his voice lost from the shock. ("What sorcery be this!")

Flonne blinked, sweating slightly. "Hmm…it looks different that it did the first time. Is it because I'm a Fallen Angel now…?"

("You mean it's not supposed to be that?")

Shaking it off, Flonne pointed at the attacking demons. "Well, never mind that! Let's win this battle! For justice!"

"ROGER." Thursday replied as the skeleton roared.

Wright, having found an appropriately-sized rock to hide behind, slumped down. Once again, tears seemed to be running down his face.

("How did this happen…?") Wright thought, ("We came here to investigate a murder, and now there's a war going on! Is my time in the Netherworld _always _going to be like this?")

Behind him, Wright could just faintly feel the shockwaves of the battle going on. However, due to him plugging his ears and keeping his eyes shut, Wright was unable to find out what was going on.

("Ever since I became a defense attorney, my life has gone from one headache to another,") Wright continued to internally monologue, ("Maybe I should have become something less taxing…like a member of a bomb squad.")

By a stunning coincidence, a great explosion occurred at exactly this moment. Luckily, with his ears plugged, most of the deafening volume had been prevented from reaching his eardrums. Unluckily, that didn't stop the force of the blast from lifting Wright off the ground, only for gravity to send him crashing down on his stomach.

"Urgh, I didn't need to feel _that _after breakfast…" Wright muttered.

Getting up, Wright turned around to see that the battlefield had undergone a change since he last looked at it. A great many craters and scorch marks had been added to the terrain, including what looked like a giant footprint belonging to something out of a giant monster movie. Inversely, the Vato Bros. allies were now missing (Wright privately suspected the skeleton Flonne summoned, but disregarded the suspicion due to a lack of digestive organs), while the Vato Bros. themselves looked like they had been run through the wringer.

Churro coughed. "Gotta hand it to you…you got some grade-A protection this time, weddo…"

"I guess we'll let you off wit' another warning, homes…" Cholo suggested, leaning on his club for support.

"But don't think this'll be the last you hear of the Vato Bros., ese…" Chewie finished.

And with that, the Vato Bros. limped away.

Flonne pumped her fist, her eyes filled with fire. "Once again, love and justice prevails over the forces of evil!"

Wright sighed, and looked toward the hotel. "Now can we investigate…?"

-A-A-D-

October 7, 8:13 AM_

Gates Hotel Lobby_

The lobby hadn't changed since Wright had been in there the day before, nor had he expected it to. The only difference was that instead of Flonne, there was a Prinny standing behind the desk.

"Welcome to the Dates Hotel, dood," The Prinny said, "Can help- oh, it's you, Flonne. What's up, dood?"

"We're looking for Miss Bird," Flonne answered, "Do you know where we might find her?"

"Miss Bird? She's down in the kitchen, dood," the Prinny reported, "Anything else?"

"No, we're fine."

("Hmm, the Prinnies are more polite when they're talking to Flonne…") Aloud, Wright said, "Well, I guess we're going to the kitchen. Where is it?"

"This way, follow me." Flonne replied.

-A-D-D-

October 7, 8:21 AM_

Gates Hotel Kitchen_

The kitchen for the hotel reminded Wright of the one in the pretty-looking but poor-tasting French restaurant, _Tres Bien_. That place was the center of an earlier case he had worked on. The main difference between the two places was that unlike _Tres Bien_, the hotel's kitchen didn't smell of bad perfumes. Instead, it smelled of…sweets. Upon further consideration, he recalled that most of the food sold at the castle's Shop was filled with sugar.

("Does diabetes exist in Hell?") Wright thought, ("Or are demons immune to cavities?")

"Oh, look, there's Miss Bird, over there," Flonne pointed, and began to wave. "Oh, Maggey!"

"Maggey?" Wright repeated, unnerved. He turned to where Flonne was pointing…

"Oh, Mr. Wright! I can't believe it's you! Long time, no see!"

Wright's jaw dropped. "…_Maggey?_" ("Miss 'Bird'…Oh my God…")

Standing directly before him, in an elegant gothic version of her old _Tres Bien _uniform, was Maggey Byrde, his previous client from not _one,_ but _two _trials. Maggey was constantly changing jobs, as her atrocious luck would continually cause her to be fired. When Wright had first met her, she was a cop. The second time he saw her was during her tenure as a waitress. That was the last time he saw her, but he heard from Gumshoe that she spent some time as a security officer at the local prosecutor's building.

Maggey saluted. "It's good to see you again! What are you doing here?"

"I…I could ask you the same," Wright managed, "How did you end up here?"

"How? I applied for the job, of course!" Maggey replied, "I answered an ad in the newspaper."

"Is…is that so?" Wright asked faintly.

"That's right!" Maggey nodded, then looking thoughtful. "I think it's for an amusement park that hasn't opened up yet…everyone I see if wearing a costume."

Wright looked to Flonne for answers. Looking somewhat awkward, Flonne whispered to him, "I haven't had the heart to tell her she really is in the Netherworld…"

"It's been a bit confusing, but I'm having a blast so far!" Maggey continued, "No one gets too upset if I break something, or lock myself out, except for the manager, but… I think my luck's finally turning around!"

("No, Maggey, you've just hit rock-bottom…") Wright thought glumly. He could only hope that Maggey's inability to hold a job would kick in before she upset a _really _blood-thirsty demon. Deciding that it was time to get down to business, he asked, "Maggey, could I ask you a few questions?"

"Sure! I was just about to go on my break," Maggey said, "What do you need?"

"Could you tell us about the murder that happened yesterday?"

"Oh, you're working that case? With pleasure!" Maggey saluted.

**MAGGEY'S TESTIMONY: What happened in the hotel.**

"I arrived for work early at 5:30," Maggey began, "I came in early because almost all of the other employees were on some kind of holiday. Anyway, Flonne and I made some of those special snacks the hotel serves."

("That's basically what Flonne told me yesterday.") Wright thought, but didn't interrupt.

"At 8:15, I relieved Mr. Maderas at the front desk." Maggey continued, but was cut off by Wright.

"Who's Mr. Maderas?" Wright asked quickly.

"Oh, that's our manager." Maggey answered.

"So _that's _what he was doing…" Flonne murmured.

Wright filed the name of the hotel manager in the court record. "Okay, so you took over for this…Maderas. Did anything happen before the victim showed up?"

"No, it was pretty boring," Maggey admitted, "I almost fell asleep a few times, but managed to stay awake."

"At what time did Tramus arrive at the hotel?" Wright asked.

Maggey crossed her arms in thought. "You mean the man dressed as an angel? I think it was…3:49. Yeah, that sounds right. If you want, you can check the hotel's log."

"Thursday, could you do that?" Flonne asked.

"ROGER. CHECKING HOTEL'S LOG," Thursday announced, and trundled off. "BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP…"

"Anyway, around 4, the power went out…" Maggey continued, but was cut off by Wright.

"The power went out?" Wright asked, and looked to Flonne. "You never mentioned that!"

"Oh! I'm sorry! I must have forgotten!" Flonne fretted, "But it didn't last very long…"

Maggey nodded. "That's right. The lights were out for only a few minutes. The manager must have been close to the breaker when it happened."

"Breaker?" Wright repeated thoughtfully.

"You know, the switches that control the electricity in the hotel," Maggey explained, "I know there's one here, because I heard Mr. Maderas talking about it to another employee, but I don't know where it is."

"You don't? But you work here!" Wright commented.

"Mr. Maderas apparently is a bit paranoid that someone might fool around with the hotel's power," Flonne explained, "So the circuit breaker is hidden."

("Is that safe?") Wright thought, ("Or is the discipline problem that bad?")

"Anyway, where was I?" Maggey thought for a moment before saying, "Oh yeah! After the black out ended, some weird short guy showed up."

"What?"

Maggey nodded. "Yeah, strange little fellow. Wore a brown cloak and hood. Couldn't tell what he looked like."

"Did…did anyone else come by?" Wright asked, his fingers tightening.

Maggey shook her head. "Not during my shift. Just one guy, and he was completely covered."

Wright promptly made his epic finger-point. "_**OBJECTION!**_"

"GAH!" Maggey cried, flinching.

"EEK!" Flonne shrieked.

"I'm sorry, Miss Byrde," Wright apologized, "But there is a clear contradiction in your testimony!"

"What?" Maggey asked, "What's wrong?"

"You just admitted to not knowing what the only visitor to the hotel looked like," Wright said, "But in court yesterday, the prosecution claimed you fingered the defendant!"

"I never fingered anybody!" Maggey protested, her cheeks puffing out in anger. "All I did was describe the hooded person as I saw him…or her. If it's anybody's mistake, it's that laughing woman's!"

Wright blinked. "Laughing woman?" ("I think I know what's coming…")

"Ooh, she makes me so mad!" Maggey ranted, "She calls herself an investigator, dressed like that? And that condenscending attitude of hers! She's an insult to real policemen like Detective Gumshoe!"

("If she's worse than Gumshoe, than Marjoly must be really bad…") Wright thought, and said, "I'm sorry if I insulted her. But what _did _you tell Marjoly?"

"Just what I told you- a little hooded man came by," Maggey reiterated, "Didn't say a thing, just kept walking."

"And you're absolutely sure you didn't see what he looked like?" Flonne asked.

Maggey nodded. "That's right."

"Okay, go on." Wright said.

"All right," Maggey nodded, and continued. "After that hooded man came by, things pretty much slowed down. At 5:20, I had to go to the bathroom. So, I had to leave the desk."

"You left your post?" Wright asked.

"It was only for a few minutes!" Maggey defended, "Anyway, at 5:39, Flonne took over for me, so I went down here to the kitchen. And that's about it. Does that help?"

"A bit…" Wright tapped his chin in thought. ("If Maggey saw that hooded person before 5:20, then that means it couldn't have been Laharl.") He added the profile of the hooded stranger to the court record, along with Maggey's testimony. ("Looks like we have a new suspect. Now to find out who it is-") He thought of the feather. ("-And I think I know where to look…")

"Oh, Mr. Thursday's back!" Flonne noted as the barrel-shaped machine entered the kitchen, "Did you find the log, Mr. Thursday?"

"AFFIRMATIVE," Thursday reported, "CONFIRMED ARRIVAL TIME OF TRAMUS; 3:49. BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP."

Wright nodded. "Thanks, Thursday. That helps.

"It does?" Flonne asked.

"Every little detail, no matter how insignificant, can lead us closer to the truth," Wright explained, "And speaking of which, we should get going."

"Okay. Good bye, Mr. Wright, and good luck!" Maggey said, saluting. "I'll be rooting for you!"

"Thanks for that, Maggey," Wright replied, "And it was good to see you again. Bye!"

As Wright, Flonne, and Thursday left the kitchen, the Fallen Angel turned to the lawyer. "What should we do now?"

"We let's go back to the castle and plan our next move," Wright told her, "We still have plenty of time until the court reconvenes tonight, and I'd like to spend it in…what do you call that angel place?"

"Celestia?" Flonne asked, "Why would you want to go there?"

"We still don't know who left that extra feather in Tramus' room," Wright explained, "And I think whoever it was will be the key to winning this case."

Flonne's face fell. "Mr. Wright… You don't really believe a fellow angel killed Lord Tramus, do you?"

Wright tried not to look her in the eye. "As a professional, I prefer to reserve judgment until after I get the facts." ("But right now, that's the only lead I've got…")

**Episode 4**

_End_

Court Record

-Defense Attorny's badge: My symbol as a defense attorney. I hope I don't lose it…

-Defense Investigation Bill: Permission from the Dark Assembly to investigate the crime scene. At least, that's what I hope it says. The writing's kind of illegible.

-Passports: These passports belonged to the Vato Bros. Apparently, they live in a place called, 'Evil Academy.'

-Angel Feather: Found at the crime scene. It came from a feather different from Tramus.

-Devil Food Cake Wrappers: These papers once contained Gates Hotel's exclusive Devil Food Cakes.

-Prinny Day flyer: The Prinnies get only one day off a year…glad I'm not them!

-Broken Spear: The weapon used to kill Tramus. The blade end is still stuck in the body, apparently.

-Nether Venom X Mk II: The most lethal poison the Netherworld has ever known. Found on the murder weapon.

-Laharl: My client, and the brattiest demon you will meet. He's been accused of killing an angel.

-Etna: Laharl's, and mine, less-than-trusted assistant. I wonder what her true agenda is…

-Tramus: The victim. He was a high-ranking angel from Celestia when alive.

-Vato Bros: Churro, Chewie, and Cholo are three orcs with nothing better to do than harass people. They rely on their lackeys FAR too much.

-Flonne: One of Laharl's friend, a ditzy Fallen Angel. How can someone so sweet be friends with that brat? I'm jealous!

-Flonne's Testimony: What Flonne witnessed on the day of the murder.

-Marjoly: The detective investigating the murder. She's human, but has demonic powers. Don't make fun of her age.

-the Judge: Normally the overseer of the trials I take part in on Earth, he's been brought here to act as a neutral party.

-Manfred von Karma: The most fiendish prosecutor I've ever faced off against. Even though he died in the human world, his spirit lives on in the Netherworld. Should be a Prinny, apparently.

-Thursday: An 'All-Purpose Super Robot', built to defend the Earth. If that's so, how come it's in the Netherworld…?

-Maggey Byrde: A human who works at a demon hotel. Plagued by atrocious luck, but still remains chipper.

-Maggey's Testimony: What Maggey witnessed on the day of the murder.

-Hooded Stranger: A mysterious being who came to the hotel.

(A/N: I haven't much to say, except that I hope I get lots of reviews.)

**Etna: **When one's faith in others is questioned, only sorrow can be found…

**Wright: **Huh? Are you acting serious for a change?

**Etna: **Reveal the secrets of this impure world… Sexy Etna, P.I!

**Wright: **Guess not…

**Etna: **With her never-ending supply of money, brains, and sex appeal, Etna throws herself into a realm of confusion and intrigue!

**Wright: **Do you posses _any _of those three quailities?

**Etna: **Can she solve the mystery, and get her payment?

**Wright: **Don't you have a never-ending supply of money?

**Etna: **Next time on _Demonic Investigators_, final episode! 'We Will Avenge You, Phoenix Wright!'

**Wright: **Wait, I've been killed off!


	5. Backstory, Angels, and Reunions

October 7, 8: 49 AM_

Overlord's Castle Shop_

"_There_ you are." were the first words Wright heard after stepping through the portal back to the castle. They were spoken by Laharl, who looked pretty cranky, in spite of being one who slept in.

"Good morning, Laharl." Wright said politely, ignoring Laharl usual bad manners. You didn't talk back to someone who could bend steel and shoot fire. Behind him, Flonne and Thursday entered the castle.

"Never mind that!" Laharl snapped, "Etna told me you went out to get more evidence. Did you find anything."

"All we've learned for certain is that there _was _someone else other than you visiting the hotel on the day of the murder." Wright reported.

Laharl crossed his arms and thought deeply. "So…is _that _the culprit? The real murderer?"

"Maybe, but I'm not sure," Wright admitted, "But we've got plenty of time before the trial starts… I want to go to Celestia, next."

Laharl nodded. "Okay, I'll have the portal ready in a few minutes."

"But, before that…" Wright looked around. "Where's Etna? There's something I want to talk about with her?"

Laharl crossed his arms and fumed. "I don't know. She disappeared on me."

Wright began to sweat. "Disappeared?"

"She does that a lot," Laharl explained, "She says she's just going to the bathroom, and then just drops off the radar for _hours_."

"Hours? In the bathroom?" Flonne asked, her eyes widening. "Is she sick?"

("The only thing sick about Etna is her mind!")

"No, but _I'm _sick- Sick of her slacking off!" Laharl growled, his eye and antenna twitching.

Wright could see the rant coming, and chose to bail out. "Look, we've got plenty of time before the trial," he said, "Why don't you guys-" (this was directed at Flonne and Thursday) "-Recharge for a bit, and I'll see if I can find Etna on my own."

"Oh, that's a good idea," Flonne remarked, "Mr. Thursday and I _do _need some healing from our fight with those orcs."

Wright quickly took his leave, intent on finding Etna as soon as possible. He was but a few feet away from the entrance to the Shop when he heard Laharl bellow, "Whaddya _mean _you didn't get more of those cakes?"

**Episode 5**

_Backstory, Angels, and Reunions_

October 7, 9: 18 AM_

Somewhere in the Overlord's Castle_

Wright soon regretted his decision to go look for Etna alone. The castle was built like a maze, or an M.C. Escher drawing, and he had the unnerving feeling that some of the walls moved. After 15 minutes of wandering around, it became apparent to Wright that he was lost. This was bad enough, but the knowledge that he was lost in a demon stronghold weighed on his mind, causing him to jump at every slightest noise.

("Forget finding Etna… How am I going to find the exit?") Wright thought, when he felt something tap his back. "GAH!"

"Gah!" Etna shrieked. Calming down, she put her hands on her hips and said, "Geez, what was _that _for? You could've given me a heart attack!"

"You? What about _me?_" Wright shot back, "Don't you know better than to sneak up on people?"

"Demon," Etna reminded, grinning cheekily. (Wright groaned.) Opening her eyes, she said, "So, I heard you wanted to talk with me?"

Forcing his heart rate down to a reasonable speed, Wright reminded himself for the reason to his wandering. After taking a deep breath, he said, "Etna, I'll be blunt. Have you ever used Nether Venom X Mk II?"

Etna stared at Wright.

CLANK! CLANG-CLANG-CLANK!

The experience of having seen it before was what kept Wright from maintaining a straight face, but he was still surprised to see chains and locks appear around Etna.

("Psyche Locks!") Wright thought, ("Looks like my guess was right on the money…")

Smiling blandly, Etna asked, "I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you mean."

("…Somehow, I knew this wasn't going to be simple.") Wright sighed, and said, "At the trial yesterday, you remarked how hard the poison's smell was to wash out. What exactly did you mean?"

Etna looked away for a moment, a pained look in her eyes. She met Wright's gaze.

CRASH-CRASH-CRASH!

"Okay, I'll tell you. But it's a secret, so keep it under your hat." Etna said.

("Well, that was easy.")

"It was about…two years before the Prince became the Overlord," Etna began to say, "A demon stole my memories."

"You mean this demon gave you amnesia?" Wright asked, confused.

"No, he actually took away memories that I had, with magic," Etna clarified, and went on. "That demon, Maderas, told me that if I wanted my memories back, I would have to do as he wanted. And what he wanted was the Prince to die. Our old Overlord, King Krichevskoy had died shortly before, and Maderas believed that if the royal line came to an end, he would be able to take over. So he gave me some Nether Venom X Mk II to give the Prince."

"You poisoned Laharl?" Wright gasped, shocked. "But he's alive!"

"Yeah, the Prince is a hardy little jerk, isn't he?" Etna chuckled nostalgically, "Anyway, the poison put the Prince into a two-year coma. During that time I plotted to get back at Maderas- and my memories."

(PLAY _DISGAEA: HOUR OF DARKNESS _TO WITNESS MASTER ETNA'S TRIUMPH, DOOD!)

"So you were being blackmailed…" Wright muttered, and was happy to see no new Psyche Locks appear. "But, how did Maderas get some poison?"

Etna shrugged. "Well, he was a former vassal to the king. He was probably planning to poison the king before he got exiled."

"Why'd he get exiled?"

"Got caught with his hand in the cookie jar."

Wright began to sweat. ("I hope that's a metaphor.")

Etna grinned. "Oh, and that _wasn't _a metaphor. Maderas got kicked out for stealing the king's black pretezels."

("Too much information… Time to go.")

("To Celestia…")

-AAD-

October 7, 9:50 AM_

The entrance to Celestia_

Once Wright had found his way back to the castle Shop, he, Flonne, Thursday, Etna were sent through the portal. They were deposited into an area very different from other places Wright had seen in the Netherland. The grass was actually lush, the skies above were clear, and there was a general feeling of ease and tranquility in the air.

And it all seemed to be emanating from a giant stone door in the center of the clearing. In fact, Wright noticed that the further away you got from the door, the more the area looked like the demon world he had come to know.

"This is the special gate that leads to Celestia," Flonne explained, "Originally, it was sealed off so only angels could open it."

"But we can go through it now, I hope." Wright commented.

Flonne smiled. "Don't worry, in order to improve the bonds between the two worlds, Seraph Lamington removed that seal. Now demons can enter Celestia whenever they want!"

Etna raised an eyebrow. "And the other angels are _okay _with that?"

Flonne faltered. "Well…visitors _do _have to pass an evaluation test on the other side of the gate, but…" She smiled again. "…I'm sure a seeker of truth and justice like Mr. Wright will be just fine!"

"Well, no point delaying things," Wright said, "Let's go."

The giant stone doors to Celestia began, very slowly and _very _dramatically, to open. A bright light filled the ever-widening space between the two doors. Once the doorway was open enough, the four of them went through it.

-AAD-

When the light faded, Wright found himself in a totally new environment. All around him were grassy hills and plains, with clear blue skies and a shining sun above him. Birds sang, or made noises similar to singing, a faint breeze wafted through the air, carrying an occasional flower petal…

"Ohhhh-hoh-hoh-hoh-hoh!"

And in front of them was a familiar, _uncomfortably_, _unbearably_ familiar woman in provocative floathing, laughing like a loon.

"I've been _waaainting _for you, blue-suit!" Marjoly sang tauntingly, "Took your sweet time, didn't you?"

("God, what is _she _doing here?") Wright thought unhappily, sweating.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Etna demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

Marjoly wagged her finger at Etna. "Now, now. Be nice, or I'll have you arrested. _Dark Conjuration_."

Marjoly snapped her fingers, and dark ball of energy appeared before exploding outward in a blast of fire. Wright and the others were blown back by the force.

"Or maybe we should skip straight to your execution?" the witch taunted.

Etna got up, her eyes red with fury. "You…old bag! You wanta piece of me?"

"Stop this right now!"

A pair young men dressed in white robes appeared, standing underneath a stone archway with ivy wrapped around. Their shoulders and backs were padded with some sort of fuzzy substance that Wright later realized were wings. Though their bodies were tense, Wright couldn't help see that their eyes were vague and blank, as if incredibly relaxed…or just listless.

("Are…are they angels?")

"If you are going to fight, take it back to the Netherworld where it belongs." One angel said, in a dull but firm tone.

"Celestia is a place of peace and order," The second angel said in an equally dull tone, "We will have none of your chaos."

Marjoly batted her eyes, applied with too much mascara. "I was just teaching these interlopers they should respect keepers of law and order…like me."

The angels did not reply, though Wright was certain he knew what they would say if they had. Realizing that she was not getting the support she wanted, Marjoly turned back to Wright's party.

"I'll let you off with a warning this time, but don't forget," She said, "I won't let you sully my perfect arrest record."

And with that, there was a flash of light. Once it faded, Marjoly was gone.

("Perfect record? Is von Karma's attitude infectious?") Wright thought, and realized that the two angels were looking at him. "Um, hi?"

"What do you want?" the first angel asked, "Why have you come here?"

"Yes, ahem…" Wright cleared his throat and tried to compose himself. "My name is Phoenix Wright. I'm an attorney at law, and I'm working on the Tramus muder case…I assume you know about it?"

"Of course we know about it," The second angel said, sounding offended. "How could we not know about? Tramus was a great angel, and his death is a great loss for Celestia. We also know about you…the Overlord's attorney. Will your fee be worth helping such a selfish demon escape justice?"

"But it hasn't been proven that Sir Laharl did it!" Flonne protested.

"But his crimes go much further than the Tramus incident," The second angel continued, "You have been living in the Netherworld, surely you have seen what he is capable of."

"Look, I understand if you think Laharl needs to chill out now and then," Wright cut in, "And he's definitely done some awful things, no doubt. But the question that needs answering isn't whether or not he should be punished for those things, but whether or not he killed Tramus."

"But that does not explain why you are here," the first angel said, "The crime happened in the Netherworld. There is no reason for you to investigate Celestia."

"Actually, there is," Wright countered, and displayed the angel's feather. "This feather was found at the crime scene. I have it on good authority-" (He glanced at Flonne) "-that this feather came from an angel other than Tramus. Unless you think I'm mistaken…?"

The two angels stared at the feather for a full minute. The whole time their expressions did not change.

("It feels like I'm talking to a pair of statues…")

"…No, it is as you say," The first angel said, "That feather came from an angel of lower-rank. Lower than Tramus', at least."

"Go to the angel's registration office in the Coliseum," the second angel said, "the clerk there should be able to help you."

"Oh, thank you very much!" Flonne said, smiling widely.

As the group walked past the angels, Wright couldn't help but think, ("That was surprisingly straightforward. I'm not used to not jumping through hoops to get things done…")

-AAD-

October 7, 11:17 AM_

Celestia_

Colosium_

On their way to the Coliseum, Wright couldn't help but marvel at the angelic landscape. Unlike the Netehrworld, Celestia seemed to be made up of giant islands floating in a sea of clouds. They were kept connected with a system of giant, elegant bridges. And unlike the Netherworld, there was a feeling of tranquility that made Wright want to just lie back and watch the clouds overhead.

"Gawd, this place is boring!" Etna complained, "Isn't there a movie theater or something?"

"Etna, don't you remember what we came here for?" Wright asked, annoyed. "We need to find our mystery angel. Flonne, how soon until we reach this Coliseum place?"

"Actually, it's just up ahead." Flonne answered, and pointed.

Wright looked before him, and saw a majestic structure very much like the coliseum of Rome. Unlike the Roman Coliseum, which was technically a ruin, the Celestian Coliseum was complete, and well, alive. A multitude of angels, and a few Prinnies, could be seen entering and leaving the main doors.

"How did I miss that?" Wright asked, awestruck.

"Gee, maybe it's because you had your head in the clouds?" Etna asked sarcastically, "I mean, you almost walked into a tree a few times."

Wright chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.

"Okay, the angel registration is just inside," Flonne said, "Follow me!"

-AAD-

October 7, 11:20 AM_

Angel Registration, Coliseum_

It didn't take long to find registration. Once inside, Wright couldn't help but marvel at how orderly it was.

("It looks like a DMV.")

Flonne walked up to the desk and rang the bell twice. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

Wright sat down in one of the plastic seats. Looking to his left side, he saw a pile of magazines. The top of the pile was an issue for something called 'Cherub's Digest', with a picture of a horned heart. ("Top story: Demons in Love? A look at the unlikely phenomena") Looking to his right, he saw a potted plant, a _Cordyline stricta_, like the one in the Wright & Co.'s office, Charley.

("Speaking of which, I hope Edgeworth is watering Charley like he promised…") Wright thought. He liked Charley, as it reminded him of the times he spent with his mentor.

"Hey, is it me, or does the air smell different in here?" Etna asked, lying back on three seats.

"OXYGEN COUNT IN REGISTRATION IS 21% HIGHER THAN OXYGEN COUNT OUTSIDE," Thursday reported, "PHENOMENA IS MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY LACK OF PATRONAGE, DECREASING AMOUNT OF CARBON DIOXIDE, BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP."

Wright was impressed. "Wow! What makes you say that?"

"Oh, Thursday's got some air-analyzer thingy." Etna waved off, bored.

"And _we've _got an oxygen tank for Charley II," A woman's voice put in helpfully, "Sometimes it leaks."

Wright's eyes widened. ("That voice! Is it…")

Looking, Wright saw a familiar face. Though she was wearing an ordinary angel's robes, there was no mistaking the woman that stood on the other side of the desk.

"M-_Mia!_" Wright gasped, standing up suddenly.

"Good to see you again, Phoenix." Mia greeted, smiling warmly.

"Oh, you know Miss Fey?" Flonne asked, surprised.

"Y-yeah…" Wright stuttered, shocked.

Mia Fey was Wright's mentor. The two of them had first met during Wright's college days, when Mia had defended in court against a murder accusation. After Wright graduated, she coached him during his first trial. But the good times did not last. Mia had been murdered shortly after Wright's debut, leaving him to take over running her office.

(PLAY _PHOENIX WRIGHT: ACE ATTORNEY _FOR MORE DETAILS, DOOD!)

"B-but, b-but…" Wright tried to force his mind and mouth to work, "But- _how?_"

"It's the same concept as Prinny selection," Flonne explained, "Humans who have led exceptionally good lives can be promoted to angel status."

"I guess it was dedication to defending others that got Celestia's attention." Mia guessed.

"But if you're an angel, how come you can be…you know…channeled?" Wright asked. Even though Mia had died, the spiritual powers of Maya and Pearl allowed Wright to talk to Mia during tough times.

"It's a bit complicated, I wouldn't worry about it," Mia told him, "So, what can I help you with?"

"Um, yes!" Wright collected his thoughts. "Mia, this may sound crazy, but I'm the defense attorney for the Tramus murder trial." He displayed his defense attorney's badge.

"Knowing you, it's not that crazy," Mia replied thoughtfully, "And if you're here, that means you have a lead?"

"That's correct," Wright displayed the angel feather. "This feather was found in the victim's room. It doesn't belong to Tramus, and-"

"- You want to find the angel it came from?" Mia finished, "Of course. Let's have it."

Wright gave the feather to Mia. The attorney-turned-angel out the feather in a scanner connected to a computer and began to type.

"You can't figure out who left that feather, can you?" Etna asked, her voice dripping with criticism.

"No two snowflakes are alike," Mia replied, "That goes the same for feathers. An angel's wings aren't part of their uniform, but an extension of their power. As such, there should be some residual energy left in this feather."

Etna raised an eyebrow. "Well, isn't _that _convienent."

("Is it me, or is Etna upset with Mia over something? Why is she staring at her chest?")

An audible beep came from the computer.

"Ah, here it is," Mia said, turning back to the computer. "The feather belongs to…someone called 'Main Hero B'."

("That can't be a real name.")

"Main Hero B…" Flonne murmured, "I think I've heard of that person. It's the name of an angel who sometimes visits the Netherworld."

"Main Hero B currently stays at Paradise," Mia continued, and the printed out a file. "Here's the exact address."

Wright received the exact coordinates for Main Hero B's location, and added it to the court record.

"Thanks, Chief," Wright said, "Hopefully, we should be able to find out more about what happened to Tramus."

"More than you think," Mia put in, "Main Hero B used to work as Tramus' assistant."

Wh-whaaaat?" Wright cried.

-AAD-

October 7, 1:06 PM_

Celestia_

Paradise_

"Well, here we are." Flonne remarked.

The house they arrived at was not in any way all that fantastic. It was a nice house, to be sure, and for some reason it looked like a miniature church to Wright. However, for some reason Wright had been expecting something a bit…_more_. Maybe it was the lack of golden gates that had always been associated with Heaven in animation. Maybe it was the white picket fence and mailbox.

Or maybe it was the small gathering of Prinnies in the front lawn, rearranging the lawn gnomes.

"Can we help you, Dood?" One asked. It's voice felt high and airy, as if it had inhaled helium.

"Hello! We'd like to speak with the resident of this house." Flonne greeted politely.

"Mrs. Tramus isn't here, Dood." The Prinny answered.

"She's at the funeral for her husband," Another explained, "You know, the one who got killed by the Overlord, Dood?"

"_**HOLD IT!**_ That hasn't been proven!" Wright protested, "And anyway, what are Prinnies doing in Celestia?"

"Why are you so surprised?" Etna asked, "We told you in chapter 3 that Prinnies work in Celestia, too."

"That's right," A third Prinny said, "Unlike the money-grubbing Prinnies of the Netherworld, we work off our sins by doing good deeds and volunteer work."

"Oh, that must be nice." Wright remarked out loud.

"Actually, we hate it," The first Prinny admitted, "But the angels force us to do it."

("I guess in Heaven or Hell, a Prinny's still a Prinny.") Wright thought, and shook his head. They were getting off track. "Actually, we're looking for someone named." He cringed. "…Main Hero B. We were told there was someone by that name living here, but…"

"Oh, that guy," Prinny 2 shrugged, "Just check inside. I think Main Hero B is cleaning out the closet, dood."

"Okay, thanks." Wright replied, and looked to the rest of the party. After a nod from both Flonne and Etna, and a beep from Thursday, Wright went up and tried the knob of the front door. It wasn't locked.

-AAD-

October 7, 1:08 PM_

Celestia_

Tramus Home_

"So, this is where Tramus lived," Etna commented, "I don't see anything very valuble…disappointing."

Wright sweated. "What did you come here for?"

The inside of Tramus' house looked surprisingly normal. There wasn't much that would differ it from any interior decorating you would find in a suburban home on Earth. Looking around, Wright found several books on dieting and nutrition lying here and there. There was a brown cross mounted above the fireplace.

"Hello?" Flonne called out, "Main Hero B?"

After a minute of silence, a voice replied, "Yes?" This voice sounded very much like a woman's, but in a masculine tone. Or maybe it was very much like man's, but in a feminine tone. Around the corner stepped an angel. This angel looked like a woman…but there was something about the way she carried herself that seemed masculine. Also, she/he had purple hair.

"Are you Main Hero B?" Wright asked, deciding to ignore the whole gender thing. Pronouns around androgynous people was like walking into your own trap.

"I am." Main Hero B replied, looking at Wright.

Wright displayed his attorney's badge and said, "My name is Phoenix Wright, attorney at law. I need to talk to you concerning the death of your employer, Tramus."

"…Don't I envy him." Main Hero B replied. Everyone, even Thursday, began to sweat.

"Uh, yeah. Anyway, I'm not sure how long I have until something goes wrong-" ("As usual.") "-So I'll be blunt," Wright said, forging ahead. "I know you were in the same hotel room Tramus was staying at in the Netherworld. I need you to tell me what happened while you were there."

Main Hero B arms crossed. There was something ominous about it…

CLANK-CLANG-CLANK CLANG!

…Except for the Psyche-locks that appeared.

"And what makes you think I was there?" Main Hero B asked.

("It's distressing at how this doesn't surprise me.") Wright thought, and displayed the angel feather. "_**TAKE THAT!**_"

"…And what does a feather prove?" Main Hero B asked, decidedly unimpressed.

"This feather came from an angel…and we know that angel was you," Wright explained, and pointed. "Main Hero B! You were the one who visited Tramus' room on the day of his murder!"

"…And why would I be?" Main Hero B asked.

"…Huh?" Wright replied intelligently, his train of thought derailed.

"You say that because one of my feathers was in the same room, I was there," Main Hero B said, "But I work for Lord Tramus as his assistant. Maybe that feather ended up on his person before he entered the Netherworld. The diplomacy mission was given to Lord Tramus alone by Master Lamington. For what reason would I need to be with him?"

"Urk!" Wright gulped. Trying to gather his thoughts, Wright looked around. Spotting the dieting books, an idea came to him. "Um, was Tramus…on a diet?"

Main Hero B blinked. "Yes, he was. Mrs. Tramus thought he was getting too fat and put him on a no-sweets diet."

("Hmm? Then why did his room have all those cake wrappers?") Wright thought, when an idea came to him. ("No way…it can't be…!")

"Is that it?" Main Hero B asked.

"Yes…I know why you wnet to Tramus' room that day," Wright said, "And this is why!"

And with that, Wright displayed the Devil Food Cake wrappers.

"Hey, is that the trash we found at the hotel?" Etna asked, raising an eyebrow. "You've been carrying it around with you?"

Ignoring Etna, Wright said, "Lord Tramus was supposed to be on a diet, but he ordered pastries. That's why you went after him…to keep him from cheating!"

CRASH!

"…It's as you say." Main Hero B answered at last, "Mrs. Tramus was worried that the demons of the Netherworld would tempt him, and sent me to keep him on the right path."

"So that's why you killed him?" Etna asked, "Cuz he was cheating on his diet?"

Main Hero B blinked. "I did not kill him. Why would you think that?"

Once again feeling that they were getting off-track, Wright intervened. "Main Hero B, now that we've established that you _were_ in Tramus' room…could you please tell us what happened?"

Main Hero B blinked. "You mean, you don't know? I told the Twilight Peace Corps. all that I knew already."

("Somehow, that doesn't surprise me. With Manfred von Karma as prosecutor, I wonder what other evidence was lost…") Wright thought, and said, "I'm not…on speaking terms with Twilight. And I prefer a direct testimony over word-of-mouth."

Main Hero B nodded. "Very well. I'll tell you… The way you stare…it's like knives in my soft flesh…only less satisfying… _Ahhh_…"

Everyone began to sweat as Main Hero B sighed at the thought.

"NOW READY TO RECORD MAIN HERO B TESTIMONY," Thursday reported, "BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP…"

**MAIN HERO B'S TESTIMONY: My painful visit.**

"On behalf of Mrs. Tramus, I entered the Netherworld to check on Lord Tramus," Main Hero B began, "I have…contacts among demons, so no one here thought it odd that I would go. After arriving, I teleported to the hotel Lord Tramus reserved."

"At what time did you arrive?" Wright asked.

Main Hero B thought for a moment. "…I can't say for certain, but I know it was before 4 o'clock. I didn't want to cause a disturbance by being seen, so I teleported directly to Lord Tramus' angelic signature."

"_**OBJECTION!**_"

Wright jumped. "What is it, Flonne?"

"Yeah, you almost gave me a heart attack!" Etna snarled.

Flonne smiled ditzily. "Sorry about that. I guess I got a bit excited," More seriously, she said, "What I don't understand is how Main Hero B could have teleported into the hotel?"

"Oh, that was simple enough," Main Hero B remarked, "Lord Tramus has this spell that allows him to summon me to his side, so I just used it in reverse and…"

"No, what I don't understand is how you teleported into the hotel at all," Flonne persisted, "There's a spell that keeps people from entering and leaving without permission- to keep them from skipping the bill."

Main Hero B blinked. "…Well, there wasn't one when I entered. In any case, When I appeared in Lord Tramus' room, I beheld a shocking sight."

"What?" Wright asked, "Was it the murderer?"

"Worse. Lord Tramus _was _cheating on his diet!" Main Hero B sighed melodramatically, "He was about to eat several of those Devil Food Cakes…if it became known that an angel of Lord Tramus' stature was about to break a vow, it would create a scandal…so I ate them all up."

"You greedy hog!" Etna snapped, "You should've saved them for others…like _me!_"

Ignoring Etna, Main Hero B continued, "Just as I had finished off the last one, something very peculiar happened; the lights went off."

("That must have been the black-out Maggey mentioned…")

"Minutes later, I heard a strange noise- Like a toiler being flushed in a thunderstorm- followed by a cry of pain; uttered by Lord Tramus' throat," Main Hero B said, "Moments later the lights came back on. And lying on the ground, with a spear sticking out of his back and the _most _pained expression on his face was none other than Lord Tramus!"

("Is it me, or does he look jealous?") Wright thought, but instead asked, "Didn't you see how it happened?"

"No, like I said, there was darkness all around us," Main Hero B answered, "I couldn't even see my hand in front of my nose. Anyway, I have bad night vision."

"Oh, I have the same problem," Flonne laughed, "You wouldn't believe how many times I tripped because the halls in the castle are too dark."

("Somehow, I don't think that's because of the darkness.")

"In any case, I tried to help by removing the spear, but it was stuck. I just broke the handle off," Main Hero B went on, "So I tried to heal Lord Tramus with my angelic powers…but it was no use. He was dead."

There was a moment of silence.

"So, I teleported out of the hotel to alert Celestia," Main Hero B finished, "The Twilight Peace Corps. were contacted, and a detective was sent to investigate the matter."

Wright nodded. "I see. Thank you." He added Main Hero B's testimony to the court record.

"'Thank you'? For what?" Etna demanded, "He told us absolutely nothing! Not even the real murderer's identity!" She shot Main Hero B a look. "_If _he's telling the truth."

"If you were listening, then you'd realize that he told us more than you think," Wright countered, "If Tramus was killed during the blackout, then it happened a whole _hour _before Laharl arrived at the hotel…"

"…Proving that the Prince didn't do it!" Etna realized, "That's perfect!"

("Which is why Main Hero B's testimony wasn't mentioned at the trial yesterday…this would have punched a hole bigger than the Grand Canyon in von Karma's 'perfect case'.")

"Main Hero B!" Flonne declared, "For great love and justice, you _must _appear in court today!"

Main Hero B nodded. "Very well. Just let me- _Look out!_"

Main Hero B suddenly threw himself at Wright. Wright was too shocked by this sudden assault to react. As Wright's body, pushed down by Main Hero B's, hit the floor, the lawyer in question felt a great heat pass over him, scorching his suit.

("Gah! What was that?") Wright thought, checking to see if his clothes were on fire. He realized that not only were there no flames, but there was also a distinct lack of angel.

"Main Hero B!" Flonne shrieked.

Fearing the worst, Wright got up and saw Flonne bent over a burnt form. Main Hero B, covered in soot and burns, lay against the wall, his-or her- clothes in tatters. Wright had a feeling Main Hero B's condition was even worse than appeared, but he couldn't help but notice the look of ecstasy on the injured angel's face.

"_Power of Love!_" Flonne was saying, over and over, but nothing happened. "_Power of Love!_" Looking up frantically, she said, "Something's wrong! My healing spells aren't working! I think this might be a curse…"

"And I think I know who cast it," Etna said. She was standing over to a large hole where the wall used to be. "I just saw a familiar, skanky figure running towards the hills, laughing. Sound familiar?"

Wright had a pretty good idea who fit that description. ("Marjoly… She must have followed us, somehow. I should have known she wouldn't be shaken off that easily…")

"Hey, we need to get out of here," Etna said, shaking Wright out of his thoughts. "A Celestial Host will be all over us any minute, and I do _not _want to be here to explain why the only witness just got toasted."

"But, that doesn't mean we should leave Main Hero B!" Wright protested, "What if Marjoly comes back to finish the job?"

"PROBABILITY OF MARJOLY LAUNCHING A SECOND OFFENSIVE: 32.70%," Thursday calculated, "BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP."

"Look, the whole 'Tramus-dying-in-the-Netherworld has got demon-angel relations strained enough," Etna explained, "And if an angel was discovered wounded and surrounded by the Overlord's vassals, the angels might not be patient enough to listen to any excuses we have."

Wright clutched his head, trying to figure out what move to make. While he didn't want to just run away, he had to admit Etna had a point. Most of the angels he met so far seemed to view demons in a very negative light. And although their feelings could be justified, it would make explaining this incident somewhat difficult. But at the same time he didn't want to leave an injured person behind.

It was Flonne who came up with a solution. "Mr. Wright, I'm going to take Main Hero B to a hospital," She said, "You, Etna, and Mr. Thursday should go back to the Netherworld and prepare for the trial today. I'll explain everything as best I can."

"Flonne…" Wright murmured, touched.

"Go, Mr. Wright!" Flonne cried, "You're the only one who can prove Laharl's innocence!"

Etna raised an eyebrow.

"Of this crime!" Flonne added quickly.

Wright nodded. "All right. Good luck…and thank you."

**Episode 5**

_End_

Court Record

-Defense Attorny's badge: My symbol as a defense attorney. I hope I don't lose it…

-Defense Investigation Bill: Permission from the Dark Assembly to investigate the crime scene. At least, that's what I hope it says. The writing's kind of illegible.

-Passports: These passports belonged to the Vato Bros. Apparently, they live in a place called, 'Evil Academy.'

-Angel Feather: Found at the crime scene. It came from a feather different from Tramus.

-Devil Food Cake Wrappers: These papers once contained Gates Hotel's exclusive Devil Food Cakes.

-Prinny Day flyer: The Prinnies get only one day off a year…glad I'm not them!

-Broken Spear: The weapon used to kill Tramus. The blade end is still stuck in the body, apparently.

-Nether Venom X Mk II: The most lethal poison the Netherworld has ever known. Found on the murder weapon.

-Laharl: My client, and the brattiest demon you will meet. He's been accused of killing an angel.

-Etna: Laharl's, and mine, less-than-trusted assistant. I wonder what her true agenda is…

-Tramus: The victim. He was a high-ranking angel from Celestia when alive.

-Vato Bros: Churro, Chewie, and Cholo are three orcs with nothing better to do than harass people. They rely on their lackeys FAR too much.

-Flonne: One of Laharl's friend, a ditzy Fallen Angel. How can someone so sweet be friends with that brat? I'm jealous!

-Flonne's Testimony: What Flonne witnessed on the day of the murder.

-Marjoly: The detective investigating the murder. She's human, but has demonic powers. Don't make fun of her age.

-the Judge: Normally the overseer of the trials I take part in on Earth, he's been brought here to act as a neutral party.

-Manfred von Karma: The most fiendish prosecutor I've ever faced off against. Even though he died in the human world, his spirit lives on in the Netherworld. Should be a Prinny, apparently.

-Thursday: An 'All-Purpose Super Robot', built to defend the Earth. If that's so, how come it's in the Netherworld…?

-Maggey Byrde: A human who works at a demon hotel. Plagued by atrocious luck, but still remains chipper.

-Maggey's Testimony: What Maggey witnessed on the day of the murder.

-Hooded Stranger: A mysterious being who came to the hotel.

-Mia Fey: My dead mentor, now working as an angel in Celestia. Rank is unknown.

- Main Hero B's address: Also where the Tramus family lived.

-Main Hero B: A…strange…angel who worked for Tramus. An angel masochist, apparently.

-Main Hero B's Testimony: What Main Hero B witnessed on the day of the murder.

(A/N: Main Hero B, amazingly enough, isn't a original character I created. I actually try to avoid creating original characters if I can. Main Hero B originally appeared in the _Disgaea 2_ remake _Dark Hero Days_, as a character in Axel mode. I tried to make Main Hero B's gender as ambiguous as possible, because in the Japanese version, though Main Hero B's sprite is a female angel, the character has a male voice. Also, certain…features that only affect males affect Main Hero B. I tried to convey that, but am unsure how well I succeeded.)

**Etna: **The time has come for Phoenix Wright to face Manfred von Karma once again!

**Wright:** Okay, what are we doing this time? Pirates? Space heroes?

**Etna: **Though he has an overwhelming amount of evidence in his favor, Wright has not reckoned with how much more terrible the Netherworld has made von Karma.

**Wright: **Wait, are you being serious? For once?

**Etna: **It'll be an uphill battle just to stay in the trial! Can Phoenix Wright clear Lord Laharl's name?

**Wright: **You are! You are being serious!

**Etna: **Next time on _Hell's Turnabout_, final episode! 'Overlord's Judgement Day!'

**Wright: **Okay, gotta stay calm…I can do this!


	6. Overlord's Judgment Day

October 7, 6:51 PM_

Overlord's Castle, Shop_

Wright took a deep breath, and then exhaled. The return trip from Celestia, though a bit harried, was successful, and they encountered no resistance at the gateway to the Netherworld. Upon returning to the castle, Wright reviewed all of the information and evidence he had gathered during his investigation, and was now confident that he had aninkling as to what happened to Tramus. Unfortunately, this confidence was diminished in the face of the knowledge that he would be facing Manfred von Karma once again, an idea that did little for his stress levels. He had no doubt that von Karma would have his own 'evidence' as to Laharl's role in the murder, evidence as twisted as he was. Now he stood in the Shop, waiting for the trial to begin.

"Heh heh heh…enjoying yourself, Mr. Wright?"

Wright's eyes widened when he realized he was no long alone- in a matter of speaking. He was now in the ghostly presence of Manfred von Karma.

"…What do you want?" Wright asked, putting himself on guard. The last time he and von Karma were alone together, Wright soon found himself shocked into unconsciousness, courtesy of the prosecutor's taser. And while there were other demons mulling about the Shop, Wright held no delusions they would stop a fight if it broke out.

"Don't be so unpleasant, Mr. Wright," von Karma said, "After all, we're both lawyers. We have so much in common."

"Funny, when you were alive you said defense attorneys were like insects to you." Wright countered.

Von Karma simply chuckled. "Such a good memory…but I guess it wasn't that long ago for you, was it? Not like me…I feel as if I've aged a thousand years here in the Netherworld. To say these demons are ruthless…would be redundant, I suppose."

("That's right; von Karma became a Prinny when he died. He must have undergone some tough treatment, serving demons.")

"But all that is going to change after the trial," von Karma continued, "Not only will I pay you back for what happened in the human world, but my afterlife will take a turn for the better!"

The eager tone in von Karma's voice sent a chill up Wright's spine. "What…what do you mean?"

"As payment for establishing the Overlord's guilt, I won't be rewarded with money," von Karma explained, "Instead I will be transformed into a demon, and released from the Prinny Squad."

Wright's jaw fell open at this admission. ("That…that means…!")

Von Karma did not notice Wright's horrified expression, saying, "Perhaps I'll visit my old colleagues back home once all this is done…they called me a god of prosecutors…they hadn't seen anything, yet!"

Von Karma walked off, chuckling evilly, leaving Wright to digest this terrifying bulletin.

("Oh god…as if the stakes weren't high enough as it is… Now I've got to protect the Earth from a Demon von Karma!")

**Final Episode**

_Overlord's Judgment Day_

October 7, 6:59 PM_

Dark Assembly Hall_

The courtroom was the same as it was the day before, in terms of décor. However, Wright could feel a certain increase in the generally amount of tension coming from their audience. Though the demons watching the trial talked amongst themselves, they spoke in hushed tones, as opposed to the casual conversation from yesterday.

As Wright took his place, he noticed Etna standing beside him. To her he asked, "Any word from Flonne?"

Etna shook her head. "No. She's probably still trying to help that nut Main Hero B. You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be…" Wright sighed, "To be honest, I feel sort of nervous…"

"_You _feel nervous!" Laharl hissed on the other side of Wright, "_You're_ not the one on trial!"

The Judge entered, and banged his gavel three times. "I hereby call this court to order. The trial of Overlord Laharl for the murder of Celestia ambassador Tramus will now reconvene."

Wright stood up and said, "The defense is ready, you're honor."

The Judge nodded, and looked to where Manfred von Karma was sitting. "And you, Mr. von Karma?"

Von Karma smirked. "Of course. In fact…" He waved a condescending finger. "…This will only take three minutes!"

("That sounds less impressive every time you say it…")

The Judge cleared his point. "Now, to the point. The defendant is the main suspect as he was the only person to have visited the victim. However, the defense has raised the very likely possibility that someone else may have entered Tramus' room. Prosecutor von Karma, I trust you have looked into this?"

Von Karma nodded. "I have, your honor. As a matter of fact, I have not only solved that puzzle, but another one-" he snapped his fingers. "Perfectly!"

("What does he mean by that?") Wright wondered.

"Prosecutor von Karma, could you please elaborate?" The Judge asked.

"I will. Throughout the investigation, one key component has been missing," Von Karma said, "A motive. Luckily, extensive investigation in the Overlord's sleeping chambers has allowed the prosecution to discern such motive!"

Von Karma held out a sheet of paper. It looked as if it had been crumpled up, sat on, and used as an eating mat. The edges were torn, and one corner had a bite mark on it.

Laharl stood up suddenly. "Is that…?"

"This is a letter from the victim to the defendant," Von Karma explained, "Though the paper itself has become filthy, the message on it remains clear. It says, 'Please come to my room 4-13 at the Gates Hotel. I have something for you, you little runt. From Tramus.'"

Wright rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ("Come to think of it, Laharl _did _mention getting a letter from Tramus on the day of the murder…")

"_At about…5:25 PM, I got this weird letter, telling me to go see Tramus in his room at the Gates Hotel," Laharl said._

("Is this what he meant?") Wright wondered, ("That does seem like an odd letter for an angel to write, but…")

"Offended by the insulting message, Laharl rushed to the hotel, intent on getting revenge," von Karma elaborated, "And as we all know…he got just that."

The strange message was added to the court record.

The audience began to chatter. Mostly it consisted of statements like "Figures" and "Is that it?" and such. The Judge hammered his gavel.

"Mr. von Karma! This is important evidence!" The Judge said, "Why wasn't this letter presented earlier?"

Von Karma shrugged. "The prosecution only found it today. You might not be aware of this, your honor, but… The Overlord's bedroom is quite messy."

The Judge blinked. "It's messy?"

"Quite," von Karma replied, "The disorganization and amount of filth and junk makes even the worst scrapyards seem positively sanitary. I understand that no one bothers to clean it, as the defendant will just mess it up later."

"Well, little boys _do _have untidy rooms," The Judge remarked thoughtfully, "I remember as a boy, my mother told me clean my room, and what a chore it was. Now my wife tells me to clean my room…"

("That must be one messy room.")

"If I can continue…" von Karma said testily, "My second piece of evidence is…footage. Footage of the deed being done…by the defendant!"

("WH-WH-WHAAAAAT?")

"What?" Etna gasped.

"What?" Laharl cried.

Von Karma displayed a VHS.

"On this tape, taken by surveillance cameras, contains the crime for eternal posterity," von Karma explained, "It was given to the prosecution by the manager of the Gates Hotel, Mr. Maderas."

"Maderas?" Etna muttered, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "_He _runs the hotel…"

"This is starting to make sense." Laharl mused.

"_**OBJECTION!**_" Wright yelled, and asked, "Why was this footage not presented in the trial yesterday? The defense demands to know!"

"Well, Mr. von Karma?" The Judge demanded, "I hope you have a good reason for withholding such crucial evidence."

Once again, von Karma shrugged, as if it was not his problem. "The same reason for the letter- we were not aware of its existence until now. You see, the manager is a demon who monitors each guest's rooms. If they do anything illegal or embarrassing, he would have the means to blackmail them. He would want to keep such a thing secret, understandably."

Etna raised an eyebrow. "Some things never change…"

("If only they would…but with my luck, it'd be for the worse!")

A pair of Prinnies wheeled a TV set into the hall. After a minute, one ran out and back in with a VCR.

"With your permission, your honor, I would like you to view this tape," von Karma said as the Prinnies hooked the set up. "And then you will put an end to these proceedings by pronouncing Laharl's guilt!"

The Judge nodded. "Very well. I will do that."

("Not the last part…you won't do the last part, will you?"

After the Prinnies hooked the TV and VCR up, it took another minute to find a wall outlet for the plug. After that was accomplished, one Prinny took the tape from von Karma and, after a minute of confusion, put it in the player.

The image on the screen was a little fuzzy, but it should, without a doubt, a tall man with white wings face to face with a small person with blue hair, unmistakably styled into a familiar pair of antenna. The blue-haired person lunged at the winged man, so easily fell over.

The video went black. Silence filled the hall.

"That…that was a bit unclear, but I understood its contents well enough." The Judge said after a moment.

Von Karma smirked. "As you can see, your honor, the person being attacked was angel ambassador Tramus. And his attacker was none other than…Overlord Laharl."

"Are you stupid _and_ senial?" Laharl demanded, infuriated. "That wasn't me!"

"Yeah, the Prince doesn't look that good on camera." Etna cracked.

("No! I can't let it end like this!") Wright thought, and stood up quickly. "_**OBJECTION!**_ I refuse to accept that as evidence!"

But von Karma simply chuckled. "You 'refuse'? I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice in the matter, Mr. Wright."

"But…we couldn't see for certain whether or not the people in that tape were really the victim and defendant!" Wright pressed, "We never got a good look at them!"

"And do we need a good look?" Von Karma asked skeptically, "Only an angel such as Tramus has wings like that, and only Tramus visited the Netherworld. As for the defendant…he is the only one to have hair like that. Case closed!"

The Judge nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I find it hard to believe that other children in the Netherworld would style their hair in such a manner. I'm certain their parents would not approve."

"Yeah, but we sell 'King Laharl' wigs at the Shop," Etna put in, "I once had a Prinny impersonate the Prince with one of those and no one questioned him."

"_What?_" Laharl snarled, shooting his vassal a dark look.

"Yeah, right?" Wright said frantically, "It could have been a wig!"

Von Karma smirked. "A wig? I'm sorry, Mr. Wright, but you're grasping. The video clearly shows your client killing the victim. Nothing more."

("No! Not…") Wright thought in despair, when something clicked. "Nothing more?"

"Well, if there are no more objections, I suppose we had better end this," The Judge said, and raised his gavel. "In light of this evidence, I declare the defendant-"

"_**OBJECTION!**_"

The Judge faltered, almost dropping his gavel. "Mr. Wright? You have more to say?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Wright answered confidently, "I say that this tape is a crock."

"Bah!" von Karma interrupted, "That is nothing more than an empty accusation! The tape perfectly depicts the murder, end of story, end of trial!"

"But that's just it, Mr. von Karma," Wright replied smoothly, "It shows the murder- and only that."

"…What?" von Karma asked.

The Judge blinked. "Isn't that what it's supposed to do?"

"The defense is trying to use double-talk to obfuscate the issue," von Karma cut in, "You honor, I believe you were about to deliver your verdict."

"No…no, I think not," The Judge said, "Mr. Wright has always had a…unique…way of getting to the point, but he does get there. I would like to hear his views."

Von Karma's muscles tightened. Wright knew at once that this trial was about to turn around.

"Your honor, I would like the court to view the prosecution's video again," Wright said, "I'll show you exactly what's wrong with it."

The tape once again played.

"Just as Mr. von Karma, the tape shows a murder," Wright said, "But it seems to have left a great deal out of it," He pointed. "There is something missing from the footage that proves this tape is fake!"

"_**OBJECTION!**_" von Karma boomed, "It shows the murder, the murderer, the victim, and the crime scene! What could be missing?"

"Mr. Wright, can you show the court what is missing from this recording of the murder?" The Judge asked.

"Of course. It's…," Wright brought up Main Hero B's picture from the court record. "This!"

"Who is that young lady?" The Judge asked, and squinted. "Or…is that a boy…?"

("Actually, I can't tell the difference either,") Wright thought, and said, "Yesterday, it was established that a second angel was in Tramus' room, as evidenced from the stray angel feather. Yet, in this tape, Main Hero B's presence is not shown!"

"_**OBJECTION!**_" von Karma interrupted, "Established? You brought up the possibility, but…" He smirked. "The prosecution could not find hair nor hide of this so-called 'other angel'.

("Yeah, because you had Marjoly try to remove him!")

"If this angel exists, why did he not come to testify?" Von Karma asked.

"Main Hero B was attacked at his home in Celestia," Wright explained, and gestured. As Thursday trundled up, he said, "However, we were able to record his testimony for the court. He claimed to have been present when the murder took place."

"And you believed him?" von Karma snorted, "I'm sorry, Mr. Wright, but wasn't it you who claimed angels weren't incapable of wrongdoing…like _lying?_"

("Urgh!") Wright moaned internally, ("He's using my own words against me! That hurts!")

"Hmmm… I'm not sure if a recorded conversation can be permissible as evidence," The Judge said thoughtfully, "I'm sorry, Mr. Wright."

Von Karma, who had been looking a bit antsy, relaxed and smirked. Wright felt a great urge to reach over and slug him. But he wasn't done yet.

"That's not all," Wright continued, "There are other things missing."

Von Karma's smiled dropped like a sag of bricks. "What?"

"Such as…?" The Judge asked.

Wright brought out the Devil Food Cake wrappers. "These wrappers were found in Tramus' room at the time of the murder. However, the room shown on tape…is clean!"

"_**OBJECTION!**_" von Karma roared, "'The room is clean'? Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds? The wrappers were obviously just out of the camera's sights. Or maybe the Devil Food Cakes came _after _the murder!"

Wright shook his head. "I don't think so. Those Cakes didn't come from room service, but were brought in by another player. I doubt our murderer would take the risk of getting caught. And considering how many wrappers there were at the scene, I find it unlikely that they would all be out of view."

"Still, that does not prove that this video is a fake," The Judge said, "Do you have any other evidence that proves the falsity of the tape?"

"Of course he doesn't!" von Karma snapped.

"I do." Wright said coolly.

"You…you do?" von Karma asked.

"Yes, I do," Wright repeated. He held out a print-out of Maggey's testimony. "_**TAKE THAT!**_"

"What is it?" The Judge asked.

"This is testimony given by Maggey Byrde, an employee present at the Gates Hotel on the day of the murder," Wright said, "And according to her, there was a blackout at the hotel on that day."

"A black out?" The Judge asked.

Wright nodded. "That's right, your honor. All of the power and lights- for a few minutes- went out all over the hotel. The time for the blackout was around 4 PM. Now, what time was the murder reported to the authorities?"

The Judge hummed thoughtfully. "I believe…4- Aah!"

"Correct sir," Wright said, "The blackout happened at the time of the murder. However, this tape does not show it."

"_**OBJECTION!**_" von Karma cut in, and pointed. "There's no proof that the blackout and the murder took place at the same time! It obviously happened before or after!"

"I'm inclined to believe the prosecution," the Judge said, "Do you have any proof that the blackout occurred when Tramus was murdered?"

"No, sir, I do not."

"There!" von Karma snapped, "You see, this video is the truth!"

"This isn't looking good," Etna muttered, "That old geezer is punching holes in your theory with technicalities."

"He can punch as many holes as he likes," Wright said, "I'm not done yet," Louder, he said, "However, I would like to point out one more contradiction in the video for the court to see."

"_**OBJECTION!**_" von Karma bellowed, "Another contradiction? What else would you like? That this tape b made for DVD or Blue-Ray, with creator commentary and sub titles? Your honor, this nitpicking is nothing more than a delaying tactic of the defense- a pointless bid for time!"

"_**OBJECTION!**_" Wright shot back, "Just as pulling a single thread can unravel a sweater…so can single details undo false evidence," He pointed, "You call it nitpicking…I call it finding the truth!"

The Judge was silent for a moment, then asked, "Mr. Wright. Every one of your arguments has been explained away by the prosecution. If you cannot find an unmistakable contradiction in this footage…it will be accepted as evidence by the court."

Wright nodded. "I understand, sir. In any case, allow me to show you the undeniable contradiction in the video."

The video played again. However, once it the image was clear, Wright yelled, "There! Pause!"

The Judge blinked. "Where? I don't see anything."

"I suppose it is a bit hard to see from your seat, your honor," Wright conceded, rubbing his chin. "But, if you were to take a closer look at the screen, you would see what I am talking about."

"I don't know…" The Judge murmured, "You can damage your eyes that way, and my sight is bad enough as it is."

("Gimme a break!") Wright thought, and said, "In that case, I'll point it out to you, your honor. If you look closely at the floor where the 'victim' and 'murderer' you would see it; a body's outline!"

The Judge squinted. "I do see something… but that doesn't look like a human body."

Wright shook his head. "That's because when the Twilight Peace Corps examined the crime scene, they included his wings… the wings a high-ranking angel like Tramus would have!" He slammed his desk with both hands. "This tape was filmed _after_ the murder investigation!"

The hall was once again filled with chatter. The Judge banged his gavel for quiet.

"Order! Order!" the Judge cried, "In light of the defense's claims, the court cannot accept this tape as evidence. Mr. von Karma, you will be penalized for this!"

Von Karma looked furious, and Wright could tell why. In life, von Karma's first and only penalty as a prosecutor had come because he was caught tampering with evidence. To receive a penalty in death as well…

("Though, compared to what he's probably experienced as a Prinny, a little penalty won't be too bad…") Wright considered, and shook his head. ("In any case, now's the time I made my counterattack!")

"You've got a courageous gleam in your eyes," Laharl noted, "Got something planned?"

"You got it," Wright said, "In fact, this is what I've been waiting for."

"Ooh, I'm not used to seeing you this way," Etna giggled, "You look so…prepared!"

Standing up, Wright said, "Your honor, don't be too hard on the prosecution. It's not his fault."

The Judge blinked. "What?"

Von Karma stared. "What?"

Etna had a bead of sweat running down his temple. "_What?_"

"What are you _doing?_" Laharl hissed, "Don't defend that old bastard!"

"Trust me," Louder, Wright continued, "After all, you only received this tape at the last minute, didn't you? You never had time to examine it fully yourself. That's the only reason it had so many flaws in it. No, Mr. von Karma is not to blame for this forged evidence."

"M-Mr. Wright!" The Judge stammered, shocked. "If the prosecution isn't responsible for this forged evidence, than who is?"

"Obviously, the fault lies with whoever provided the tape," Wright answered, "The manager of the Gates Hotel…Maderas!"

Etna's eyes flashed. "_Maderas? That _jerk's mixed up in all this?"

("From the very beginning, I knew that in order to win this trial, I had to find some excuse to bring that demon on the stand…") Wright thought, ("I never imagined I would get it from Manfred von Karma!") Pointing, he said, "You honor! The defense requests that Mr. Maderas be brought before the court and testify as to why he fabricated evidence- and as to what really happened in the hotel on the day of the murder!"

The Judge nodded. "Very well. Court will adjourn for a 10-minute recess while this Maderas is found and retrieved."

-AAD-

October 7, 8:06 PM_

Overlord's Castle, Shop_

"Well, that went better than I thought." Wright admitted, leaning against a wall in relaxation.

"Why didn't Flonne tell us about Maderas running that hotel?" Etna demanded hotly, glaring at Wright. "We could have saved a lot of trouble!"

"Don't look at me, it's not my fault!" Wright said, holding up his hands for protection. "And maybe she didn't know?"

"How could she not know? She worked there!" Etna growled.

"I'm back!"

The three turned to see the Fallen Angel in question run towards them from the portal.

"Flonne!" Wright greeted, "You're back! How's Main Hero B?"

"He's fine," Flonne answered, "His recovery is going smoothly once the healers discovered the problem."

"What was wrong?"

Flonne began to sweat. "Um, it turns out he liked the pain so much that his body was rejecting the healing magic…"

("…What kind of angel is he?")

"Anyway, how's the trial going?" Flonne asked, changing the subject. She gasped. "You didn't lose, did you?"

"No, we're just taking a break. Wright made some pretty good points," Etna explained, "Speaking of points…when were you going to tell us about Maderas being your manager?"

"Oh! I'm sorry, it just slipped my mind," Flonne replied, "Mr. Maderas seemed so sincere when he said he had changed his ways, so I didn't read too much into it…"

"Don't you realize this stupid trial could've been over sooner if you had? _He's_ probably the one who killed Tramus!" Laharl growled, "We could've beaten a confession out of him by now!"

"No, that wouldn't work." Wright cut in.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Etna asked, shocked. "That kind of stuff works all the time!"

"Laharl already has a reputation for being a rough character among his people and Celestia," Wright elaborated, "If you forced Maderas into taking responsibility, everyone would think you were just pining the blame on him. I don't think anyone knows about the blackmail incident, do they?"

When Etna didn't reply, Wright continued. "As a defense attorney, my goal isn't to find a scapegoat, but to prove Laharl's innocence. And I can only do that the right way…which in this case, would be the 'Wright' way!"

Slowly, Etna looked to Laharl. "Prince…?"

Laharl crossed his arms and sighed. "Well, it's too late to change anything now. Whatever Wright's got in mind, we'll have to go with him."

Wright smiled. "Thank you for your faith, Laharl."

-AAD-

October 7, 8:16 PM_

Dark Assembly Hall_

The hall was the same as it was ten minutes before. The only change was that on the witness stand was a tall, pale, broadly built man. He wore elegant clothing, similar to von Karma's, with a red scarf around his neck. The man's hair was erected like a pile of spikes on his head, and his eyes seemed like holes with a red light within.

The Judge hammered his gavel. "Court will now reconvene. Witness, please state your name and occupation."

The demon smiled, and Wright could see a pair of exceptionally long fangs. "I am Maderas, the manager for the Gates Hotel."

("So that's Maderas…") Wright thought, ("Is he some kind of vampire?")

"Do you know why you've been brought before this court?" the Judge asked sternly.

Maderas shrugged. "Not really. Apparently, you could not understand the evidence I provided. Are you humans too dense to know a murder when you see it?"

"_**OBJECTION!**_" Wright called out, standing up. "We're smart enough to know fake evidence when we see it!"

"_**OBJECTION!**_" von Karma shouted, "The prosecution requests that the defense allow the witness to explain himself."

The Judge nodded. "Objection sustained. The defense will wait until the cross-examination to speak up."

Wright sat down, sweating. ("Urg…")

"Now then," the Judge said, "Mr. Maderas, please explain to the court why you presented false evidence to the prosecution. Do you realize what a crime that is?"

"False?" Maderas asked innocently, "Oh no, your honor…the evidence I delivered is real. The tape yes…but the _essence _of the evidence is quite true."

"_**HOLD IT!**_" Wright yelled, "What do you mean by that? The tape is fake, but the 'essence' is true?" He pointed. "That's a contradiction!"

"Hahaha…only fools would think that." Maderas chuckled darkly.

"Would you care to enlighten us, then?" The Judge asked.

"Of course!" Maderas said, "That is why I am here, isn't it?"

("Spare me…")

**MADERAS' TESTIMONY: Fake Truths**

"What you saw was the truth…but I could not save it in time," Maderas said, "I felt it necessary for the authorities to know how it happened. Lacking footage, I had no choice but to recreate the events as they happened."

"You…recreated it?" The Judge asked, "How?"

"With actors, of course!" Maderas answered, "It was not easy finding an angel's robes here in the Netherworld. Wigs styled like the Overlord's hair, however, are quite abundant."

Laharl smirked, chuckling.

"Don't look so happy!" Etna hissed, "That's how he tried to frame you!"

The Judge nodded. "Very well. Defense, you may proceed with the cross-examination."

("This is my only chance,") Wright thought, ("I have to find the holes in his testimony that will lead me to the truth!")

**CROSS-EXAMINATION: Fake Truths**

"_What you saw was the truth…but I could not save it in time,"_

"_**HOLD IT!**_" Wright interrupted, and asked, "What do you mean, you 'could not save it in time'? _What _couldn't you save?"

"The video, of course," Maderas answered, "Not just the data from that room, but everywhere in the hotel was deleted."

"And why is that?" Wright asked suspiciously.

"There was a blackout," Maderas explained, "Because of that, I lost the video of the murder, unfortunately."

("Is it really unfortunate?") Wright wondered, ("If I were the murderer, I'd be pretty happy there was no tape of me doing it.") Aloud, he said, "Your honor, the defense requests that this information be added to the testimony."

"Agreed," The Judge said, "Witness, you will amend you testimony to include the blackout."

Maderas looked annoyed at this, but nodded. "Very well."

"_I felt it necessary for the authorities to know how it happened._"

"_**HOLD IT!**_" Wright yelled, "That's your justification for forging evidence? You 'felt it necessary'?"

There are few things more disturbing than a vampire trying to look coy. "I wasn't aware I was doing anything wrong…"

"Like hell you did!" Laharl shouted while Etna and Flonne made funny faces at Maderas.

The Judge banged his gavel. "The defendant will cease his outbursts…though I must say, witness, forging evidence is a serious crime. At least it is back home…"

"Well, we're not 'back home' are we?" Maderas asked.

The Judge blinked. "Hmm, you know, he has a point!"

Wright sweated. ("Only in his mouth!")

Maderas continued. "_Lacking footage, I had no choice but to recreate the events as they happened._"

"_**HOLD IT!**_" Wright shouted, only to be shouted back at.

"Oh, cut that out!" Maderas snapped, "You've been shouting at everything I say! Don't you have anything else to do, you stupid human?"

"I would like that to be stricken from the record." The Judge said politely.

"Record?" Laharl asked, "Is someone supposed to be writing this down?"

"Erm…" Wright tried not to lose steam. "A-anyway, Maderas, you claim that the sequence on the tape was the murder 'as it happened'. Does that mean you actually witnessed the murder?"

Maderas looked uncomfortable. "Mm…maybe."

Wright slammed his desk and pointed. "Then why didn't you come here and testify yourself!"

"_**OBJECTION!**_" von Karma interrupted, "The defense is badgering the witness! He very neatly explained that he fabricated the tape in order to show us what happened." He snapped his fingers. "Case closed!"

But Wright wouldn't let up. "We can't use that tape for evidence! It's forged! Fabricated! _Illegal!_"

The Judge nodded. "The defense has a point…and not all of them in his hair."

Wright rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. ("Why does everyone talk about my hair?") Aloud, he said, "Your honor, the defense requests that the witness describe what he saw in detail!"

"Request granted," The Judge said, banging his gavel. "Witness, please testify about the murder in full."

Maderas looked annoyed at this, and shot Wright a dark look.

("Okay, it all comes down to this…") Wright thought, ("this testimony will make or break this case!")

**MADERAS' TESTIMONY: Death of an Angel**

"I was about to check the kitchen's when I saw it happen," Maderas said, "I saw the victim being attacked…by none other than the Overlord! The Overlord lunged at the victim, spear in hand, and pierced his upper-left back. I called the Twilight Peace Corps., but it was too late."

The Judge nodded. "Very well. Defense, you may begin your cross-examination."

"Whaddya think?" Etna asked, "Fulla Crap or what?"

"I'll be the judge of that…" Wright muttered, and had a horrifying thought. ("Unless von Karma couched Maderas…")

**CROSS-EXAMINATION: Death of an Angel**

"_I was about to check the kitchen's when I saw it happen,"_

"_**HOLD IT!**_" Wright shouted, and asked, "You saw it happen? How?"

"I have closed-circuit monitors in my office." Maderas explained.

"Please add that to you testimony." The Judge ordered.

Annoyed, Maderas continued. "_I was about to check the kitchen's when I saw it happen on the security monitors in my office. I saw the victim being attacked…by the Overlord!_"

"_**HOLD IT!**_" Wright yelled, and asked, "Could you give a more detailed explanation?"

"Err, what do you mean?" Maderas asked evasively.

"I mean, can you give a blow-by-blow playback of how the murder happened?" Wright expanded, "After all, if you saw the attack, you can do that much, can't you?"

"_**OBJECTION!**_" von Karma interrupted, "There is no need for that. The dramatization the witness provided has all the play-by-play we need."

"_**OBJECTION!**_" Wright shot back, "We've already established that we can't rely on such a fraudulent video!"

The Judge nodded. "Witness, can you give the court an exact description of the murderer and victim's movements?"

Maderas tugged at his collar. "N-no…I only saw part where Tramus died… that's all."

"Perhaps the witness can give a detailed of _that_." Wright suggested, rubbing his chin.

Maderas was starting to look aggravated. "_What _details? It was just a stab!"

"Clearly, the witness cannot give us any more information on that particular instance," von Karma decided, "Witness, you may continue."

The Judge blinked. "Er, _I'm _supposed to continue," Looking stern, he said, "Witness, you may continue."

Wright sweated.

"_The Overlord lunged at the victim, spear in hand, and pierced his upper-left back._"

"_**OBJECTION!**_" Wright yelled, "Witness, there is a large contradiction in your testimony!"

"_Finally_," Etna sighed, and asked, "What is it?"

Wright took a deep breath. "Well…"

"C'mon, tell us!" Laharl ordered.

"Please, Mr. Wright!" Flonne pleaded, "Sir Laharl's life is at stake!"

"Mr. Wright, don't leave us hanging," The Judge said, "Can you point out the contradiction in the witness' testimony?"

("If you would all be quiet and let me talk…") Wright thought. Gathering his thoughts, Wright said, "Maderas, you claim that you saw the defendant stab the victim in the in the upper left of his back from your security cameras, is that right?"

"Yes, that's right," Maderas replied, "Is something so simple so difficult to accept?"

"It's difficult to accept because it's _not _possible." Wright answered.

Maderas fixed Wright with a hard stare. "What?"

"Come now, Wright," von Karma chided snidely, "'Not possible'? What kind of logic are you using?"

"I have to concur, Mr. Wright," the Judge said, "I should think it's very possible to for someone to be stabbed."

Wright shook his head. "That's not what I meant," He held out the testimony of Main Hero B. "I would like the court to view the video tape once again."

"_**OBJECTION!**_" von Karma burst, "You said not more than two minutes ago that that tape cannot be used as evidence!"

("Grk! He's right!") Wright rubbed his chin and thought quickly. "Er, yes…on its own, it can't," He said, "But if the tape was really made as a re-enactment of what Maderas saw, then by connecting it to his testimony it can, in a way, be…evidencial."

"That's not a real word." Etna scoffed.

"Shh!" Wright hissed, and pressed onward. "In any case, please, let's play the tape again and I'll show the court what I mean."

And so, the tape was once again played. Once it got to the part where 'Laharl' attacked 'Tramus', Wright yelled "_**TAKE THAT!**_" and paused the tape. "There's the contradiction!"

The Judge stared at the image on the screen for a full minute. Then he said, "Where? I don't see it."

Wright began to sweat. ("Oh, come ON! Is it that hard to find?")

Von Karma crossed his arms and snorted. "Clearly the defense is grasping at straws. As everyone can see, the victim is clearly being killed!"

"That's true, it appears that way," Wright said, refusing to give up so easily. He slammed his desk. "But the act is mostly obscured by the victim's wings!" He pointed. "_We can't see what part is being stabbed!_"

That got the entire hall buzzing with chatter. The Judge hammered with gavel several times, trying to quiet things down.

"Order! Order!" The Judge commanded, "I will have order!"

"Good job, Mr. Wright!" Flonne cheered, "You're winning this thing!"

"Thanks," Wright replied, not looking at her. Things were starting to go his way again, and he had to remain focused. "Time to bring home the bacon…"

"Mr. Wright, if there was no way the witness could see from his monitor how the victim was attacked, then how did he know?" The Judge asked once the chatter settled.

"There's only one explanation," Wright answered, and pointed. "If it was impossible to see the murder from his office, than Maderas must have been watching the murder from _somewhere else!_"

"_**OBJECTION!**_" von Karma interrupted, "'Somewhere else?' You make it sound so sinister. Did it ever occur to you that perhaps Mr. Maderas might have learned about the murder's details from some other source?"

"What…do you mean?" Wright asked, a horrible feeling welling up in his gut. ("He wouldn't…no, not that…")

"The head of the investigation spoke with the witness on the day of the murder," von Karma said, "It's quite possible that that foolish detective Marjoly blabbed about it to him," He fixed Maderas with a look. "_Isn't that right, witness?_"

Maderas grinned gleefully. "Yyyes! That's it! I heard about the stab from Marjoly!"

"Hmm, that does make sense," The Judge considered, "That detective did seem remarkably undisciplined. It would be just like her to talk about it."

Wright felt his face becoming drenched with sweat. ("No! This can't be happening!")

"If there are no more objections, I will no render my verdict." The Judge decided.

"Oh, this isn't good…" Etna murmured, looking worried. "Wright, say something!"

But Wright had nothing to say. ("I…What do I do?")

Then a voice rang out-

"_**HOLD IT!**_"

-And it wasn't a lawyer's.

Time seemed to slow down as everyone, Wright, Laharl, Etna, Flonne, the Judge, Maderas and von Karma, looked to the entrance of the hall.

"I…have something to say!" Main Hero B declared, and clutched his shoulder and winced.

"Wh-who is this…" The Judge's eyes narrowed on Main Hero B. "…girl?"

("It's a boy…but don't worry, I had the same problem." Wright thought, when the reality of the situation hit him. Slamming his desk, he yelled, "You're honor, this man is the angel who was in Tramus' bedroom on the day he was killed! _He is a witness!_"

The demons that made up the dark senate once again began to talk amongst themselves, and the dialogue sounded like "Oy, it's that weirdo again…" "Doesn't she hang with Axle?" "She looks like she's hurt- and enjoying it!"

"Order! Order!" The Judge cried, almost breaking his gavel. "Is this true? Were you indeed at the scene when the murder happened?"

Main Hero B took a deep breath and said, "Yes, I was."

"_**OBJECTION!**_" von Karma bellowed, "Your honor, this is completely ridiculous! There's no proof that this man is who he says he is!" He snapped his fingers. "This could very well be a ploy set up by the defense!"

"_**OBJECTION!**_" Wright shot back, "This is no ploy, and there is proof! _**TAKE THAT**_" He held out the feather. "This feather was confirmed to have come from that angel by the Celestial registration. It's presence in Tramus' room proves him being there!"

The Judge nodded. "The defense makes a good point," He noticed that Main Hero B seemed to be grimacing. "Er, are you all right?"

"I'm suffering from a curse that's keeping my wounds from mending." Main Hero B confessed.

"That sounds horrible!" The Judge gasped, "You must be in terrible pain!"

"Oh yes, it's _such _a feeling…" Main Hero B sighed, as if it were cuddling something small and fluffy.

The Judge had a bewildered look on his face. "Erm, and that's…bad, isn't it?"

("In more ways than one…") Wright thought, sweating. Wiping his brow, he said, "You honor, we must hear his testimony. It may very well clear up this mysterious murder."

The Judge nodded. "Agreed."

"Your honor," von Karma said, "The prosecution requests a recess-"

"_**OBJECTION!**_"

"M-Mr. Wright?" the Judge asked.

"No recess!" Wright declared, slamming his desk. "Main Hero B was attacked earlier today! We cannot let him out of our sight, or the truth will be lost!"

"Oh? Even at the cost of a witness' life?" von Karma asked snidely, "This so-called 'angel' looks like he might die on his feet at any moment!"

"I told you, I like this feeling…" Main Hero B began when a thunderous voice shook the hall.

"_**ENOUGH!**_" Laharl boomed, "Flonne, you make sure the other stupid angel doesn't die with your healing."

"Okay, Sir Laharl!" Flonne chirped, and went to Main Hero B's side.

"Now, _witness_," Laharl said in a commanding tone, glaring at the angel. "Talk."

Main Hero B nodded. "Of course."

Etna nudged Wright. "Hey, are you sure jumping into this is such a good idea?"

"It's the only shot we've got," Wright said, "Von Karma's trials are always perfect; Perfectly prepared witnesses, perfectly prepared evidence, and perfectly prepared preparations. An unforeseen element is the weak link in his armor."

**MAIN HERO B'S TESTIMONY: My Master's Demise**

"I was in Master Tramus' room when it happened," Main Hero B said, "We were talking when the lights went out. I heard a strange noise and then a cry of pain from Lord Tramus, and then I looked up and saw a pair of glowing red eyes. When the lights came on, Lord Tramus was lying on the floor with a spear into him. I left to call the police."

"Thank you," The Judge said, "Defense, you may begin your cross-examination."

Wright nodded. "I'm ready, your honor."

**CROSS-EXAMINATION: My Master's Demise**

"_I was in Master Tramus' room when it happened. We were talking when the lights went out. I heard a cry of pain from Lord Tramus, and then I looked up and saw a pair of glowing red eyes._"

"_**HOLD IT!**_" Wright cried, standing up. "You say you looked 'up'? How far up do you mean?"

Main Hero B rubbed his chin in thought. "I suppose…" He leaned back to arch his head. "…this far? Yes, that's about right."

"Why is that important, Mr. Wright?" the Judge asked, "What does it effect?"

"_Everything_, your honor," Wright said, "The fact that Main Hero B looked up at someone when Tramus was murdered changes everything! If we were to compare the angle of sight Main Hero B has in the position to the defendant's height, we would see a large gap between the two!"

"_**OBJECTION!**_" von Karma shouted, "For all we know, the witness was sitting down when it happened!"

"I wa-" Main Hero B began.

"No one's asking you!" von Karma snapped.

"_I'm _asking!" Wright shouted, "Were you sitting down when you looked up?"

"No."

"There, you see?" Wright said, quickly, "There's no way Laharl could be the murderer! The one who murdered Tramus _was taller than Laharl!_"

"but… If the killer wasn't Laharl, than who was it?" The Judge asked, "Who killed Tramus?"

("Finally…the opening I've been waiting for.") Wright thought, and said, "Quite simply, it would have to be someone we know who is taller than Laharl, and has a good reason for killing Tramus. The murderer is…" He displayed Maderas profile. "…Him!"

"The- the hotel manager?" The Judge asked, shocked.

"_**OBJECTION!**_" von Karma shouted, "The prosecution objects to this baseless accusation!"

"It is not baseless," Wright said, shaking his head. "From the way Main Hero B's head was positioned from when showed us how he 'looked up', the only person tall enough for his eyes to be seen is Maderas."

"Bah!" von Karma snorted, "And how, pray tell, could he get into Tramus' room?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Wright asked, "He had a key, of course. As manager, he would have access to any spare key."

But von Karma wasn't going to be beaten just yet. "So your theory is, Maderas snuck into the room to kill Tramus. But don't you think it's odd? With Main Hero B there, Maderas would be taking an awful chance of being discovered. With his monitoring system, he would see another angel in the room, a potential witness. Why not kill the both of them? And don't tell me he simply didn't see him!"

Wright rubbed his chin in thought. ("Hmm, that's a good point. What kept Maderas from killing Main Hero B?") After thinking it over, he decided, "Actually, it really _was _he simply didn't see Main Hero B."

"A flimsy excuse from a flimsy defense attorney!" von Karma declared.

"Mr. Wright, a lot is riding on this," the Judge said sternly, "Please don't make flimsy excuses."

"Let me explain," Wright said, "At the time of the murder, the power went off, plunging the room into darkness. It would be very difficult to see. Maderas did this to prevent himself from being seen but also prevented himself from seeing anything else!"

"What do you mean 'to prevent himself from being seen'?" von Karma demanded.

Wright picked up the print out of Maggey's testimony and tapped it. "According to an employee at the hotel, Maderas has a breaker in his office. It would allow him to turn off the hotel's power at any moment. Now, just minutes ago Maderas admitted that he couldn't provide the investigation with real footage from Tramus' room because that black out erased all data. It's very possible Maderas shut down the hotel's power to keep himself from being caught on camera!"

"Hmm, but can Maderas _be _seen on film…?" Flonne wondered aloud, and got elbowed by Laharl.

"Pipe down!" He hissed.

"_**OBJECTION!**_" von Karma yelled, "According to the angel's testimony, the murder happened mere moments after the blackout began! How could Maderas go from his office to Tramus' room so quickly?"

"Magic, of course." Wright said, and when he saw von Karma smirk, he cried, "No, really! Main Hero B, you claimed to have heard a noise before the murder, correct?"

"Yes," Main Hero B answered, "It sounded like a toilet being flushed in a thunderstorm."

"I heard a noise like that myself," Wright told the court, "When Etna teleported into my office! The reason Maderas was able to kill Tramus so quickly after turning the power off was because he went through a portal into the latter's room!"

"_**OBJECTION!**_" von Karma shouted, "The Gates Hotel has special wards preventing such teleporting from happening! It's not possible!"

"I was able to teleport in and out…" Main Hero B mentioned.

"Shut up!"

To Etna, Wright asked, "Is it possible for those kind of spells to be undone?"

"Oh yeah," Etna confirmed, "Only the master of the house can do it, but it's possible."

"Thank you," Louder, Wright said, "As manager of the hotel, Maderas has the ability to dispel those wards- And he did just that to commit murder!"

"_**HOLD IT!**_"

MAderas was now on the stand. He looked quite frantic, with beads of sweat running down his temples. On the floor was Main Hero B, with an odd look of ecstasy on his face. Flonne was besides him, casting healing magic.

"This is an outrage!" Maderas snarled, his eyes glowing blood-red. (A fact Wright quickly picked up on.) "I came here to ensure justice was done, and now I find myself accused of murder!" He pointed at Wright. "You should be ashamed of yourself, trying to pin the crime on an innocent man like me!"

("Hey, don't point your finger at me!") Wright thought, ("That's my thing!")

"Mr. Maderas," von Karma said. He had his arms crossed and eyes shut, but looked calmer than he did before. "Don't allow yourself to be too upset by what our foolish defense attorney allowed to leave his mouth. He's woven many pretty scenarios, but…" He waved a taunting finger. "…He has yet to provide any actual evidence!"

The Judge nodded thoughtfully. "That's true."

Wright winced. ("Urk!")

"Don't just stand there looking stupid!" Laharl snarled, "Say something!"

"Wwwell, maybe you should testify again," Wright said cautiously, "After all, if you're innocent, it won't hurt anything."

"All right. I'll allow it," The Juddge said, "Mr. Maderas, you may testify against Mr. Wright's accusations. After all, it won't hurt anything."

Maderas grunted. "Very well. But it might hurt you…"

("Gee, _that _wasn't threatening…") Wright thought sarcastically.

**MADERAS TESTIMONY: 1-2-3 Not It!**

"It's utterly ridiculous that I did it," Maderas grumbled, "Me, kill Tramus? I have no reason to! Where would I get the poison that spear was coated with? It's not possible! I never touched any of it!"

"Is that all you have to say on the subject?" The Judge asked.

Maderas crossed his arms, looking smug. "That's all I _need _to say."

"Very well," The Judge said, "Defense, you may begin your cross-examination."

"Don't mess this up," Laharl said, "I'm counting on you."

**CROSS-EXAMINATION: 1-2-3 Not It!**

"_It's utterly ridiculous that I did it," Maderas grumbled, "Me, kill Tramus? I have no reason to!_"

"_**HOLD IT!**_" Wright interrupted, "You say you have no reason to kill Tramus. But I believe you have a very good reason."

Maderas frowned. "And that is…?"

"You did not kill Tramus because you had a grudge against him, but a grudge against this person," Wright said, and held out a profile. "_**TAKE THAT!**_"

"The defendant?" the Judge asked, squinting at the photo.

Wright nodded. "Correct. Years ago, you tried to take over the Netherworld. By framing Laharl for murder, it would not only dispose of him, but leave the throne open for anyone to take- such as yourself. And you've just moments ago tried to implicate the defendant with your false evidence."

Maderas gritted his teeth, but said nothing. "…!"

"_Where would I get the poison that spear was coated with? It's not possible!"_

"_**HOLD IT!**_" Wright said, "How did you know the spear was poisoned?"

Maderas smirked. "I heard it from that detective, of course."

"Is that all you have to say, Mr. Wright?" The Judge asked.

"No, it's not," Wright said, "I would also like to say that it is possible for you to have gotten the poison used in the murder."

"_**OBJECTION!**_" von Karma snapped, "That poison was a unique type kept under lock and key by the Overlord. Only members of the royal court could have accessed it."

"And that's how Maderas got his hands on it." Wright said.

"What?"

Wright tapped a piece of paper. "According to Etna, Maderas used to be a vassal of the previous Overlord, King Krechevskoy, up until he was expelled…for, um, classified reasons. It was during that time that he obtained a sample of Nether Venom X Mark II."

"But that was a long time ago!" Maderas protested, "And that does not prove I ever had Nether Venom X Mark II on my possession."

"You had it, and you used it." Wright said, "And I can prove it."

"What?"

Wright tapped Etna's testimony again. "According to Etna, you used it in a plot to poison Overlord Laharl once, over two years ago."

"What, you mean you forgot that?" Etna drawled sarcastically, "Shame on you!"

Maderas said nothing, but there was an unhealthy vein bulging on his forehead.

"_I never touched any of it!"_

"_**OBJECTION!**_" Wright yelled, pointing. "That is nothing more than a bald-faced lie, Maderas. You touched it."

"_**OBJECTION!**_" von Karma boomed, "'Prove it?' You have a better chance of causing Hell to freeze over."

"What do you mean?" The Judge asked.

"The investigation searched the entire hotel, which is also Maderas' home," von Karma explained, "If there was any poison of any kind there, we would have found it."

("And if you had found it, it wouldn't have made it to the trial.") Wright thought.

"Hey, can you really prove MAderas has any more poison?" Etna asked, "I mean, we never searched his hide out."

"Well, Mr. Wright?" The Judge asked, "Do you have proof that Maderas has any more poison?"

("It's not a question of whether or not Maderas has any poison,") Wright thought, rubbing his chin. ("Instead, I need to prove that Maderas has used poison _recently_.") He gestured. "_**TAKE THAT!**_"

"Your proof is…" The Judge blinked uncomprehendingly. "…A jukebox?"

"This is an All-Purpose Super Robot," Wright answered, "His name is Thursday."

"I LIKE PUPPIES, STARGAZING, AND LONG WALKS ON THE BEACH," Thursday said, "BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP."

"Among Thursday's utilities is an air analyzer," Wright went on, "That will prove Maderas had poison around the time of the murder."

"How?" the Judge asked.

"Simply put, Nether Venom X Mark II has a very…um, attentive scent," Wright explained, "From what I understand, it really follows you around. If we use Thursday to scan Maderas, he will be able to tell us whether or not Maderas had any Nether Venom X on his person."

The Judge closed his eyes, deep in thought. After a few minutes, he opened them and said, "Very well. Scan him, if you must."

"_**OBJECTION!**_" von Karma shouted, "Your Honor, this is ridiculous!" The defense-"

"Has made some very good points," The Judge interrupted, "And all they're asking in return is the chance to back it up. All-Purpose Super Robot Thursday, scan the witness."

Thursday trundled up to the stand. Maderas stood there, completely still. There was some beeping noises as Thursday's lights blinked and he shifted position around the demon. Everyone was completely quiet.

Then, Thursday said, "ANALYSIS COMPLETE. SUBJECT MADERAS BODY SCENT CONSISTS OF 18% TANGERINE ALLOE, 25% TAINTED STEAK, 14% ROZEN-QUEEN HAND SOAP…"

"Hurry it up!" Laharl snapped.

"…43% NETHER VENOM X MARK II," Thursday finished, "BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP."

The hall was silent as they took that in. Then, Maderas screamed. It wasn't a scream of pain, or of fear. It wasn't the kind of scream that was triggered by a singular event. It was an anguished howl, with many years of bitter disappointment behind it. The kind one would make if the thing they wanted most was snatched from under their nose…again.

"You! You miserable…human! You're just like Krechevskoy! So smug…so all-knowing!" Maderas spat, "First that buffoon had me banished from his court for stealing a snack…and died before I could take revenge!"

"Wait, this was over snacks?" The Judge asked, confused.

Ignoring the Judge, Maderas continued to rant. "And when I was poised to triumph, his brat of a son stole my rightful place as ruler from me! And it wasn't long before all of the Netherworld chose to follow him. I knew…that there would be no way I could start a revolution. No demon would stand against that pitiful child!"

"He's pitiful?" Etna asked, "At least he doesn't try to cheat others into doing his dirty work!"

"Shh!" Wright hissed.

"So there I was, reduced to renting out rooms in my manor," Maderas continued, "That was when the heavens granted me another chance- literally!"

"You mean Tramus." Wright put in.

Maderas' eyes flashed wildly. "Yes! I realized that if I couldn't turn the demons against Laharl, I would use the angels! I even went as far as to bring the most fearsome lawyer in existence to persecute him!"

"Sh-shut up, you fool!" von Karma cried, clutching his shoulder.

"It would have all been perfect…I would be Overlord…if not for you…" Maderas heaved, bent over. Looking up, he glared at Wright, his eyes burning red and hot as lava. "You…_I'll kill you!_"

There was a flash of light, and Maderas seemed to explode into a swarm of angry, screeching bats. They flew at Wright, fangs glistening in the light. The defense attorney reeled back in alarm, but tripped over his chair. In a matter of seconds they would be upon him…

"_Burning Knuckle!_"

With a fist wrapped in flames, Laharl landed a mighty punch on the swarm. The bats instantly reformed into Maderas, who was now flying in the opposite direction. There was a mighty crash as the demon hit the wall.

"Take that loser down to the castle dungeons," Laharl ordered, "And _don't _put him in the cell I broke!" As a pair of monsters dragged Maderas off, he nodded at the Judge. "Hop to it."

"Err, yes…" The Judge cleared his throat and tried to look professional. "It seems we've come to the end of things. This was a strange and unusual trial, with strange and unusual evidence, and strange and unusual witnesses…"

("Get on with it!") Wright thought.

"There was a lot I don't think I'll ever understand," the Judge continued, "But one thing I do know is that, Overlord Laharl, for the crime of killing Celestial ambassador Tramus, you are-"

NOT GUILTY

The Judge slammed his gavel down. "That is all. The court is adjourned!"

-AAD-

October 7, 8:49 PM_

Overlord Castle Shop_

The minute the group had left the senate hall, Flonne had pulled Laharl into a bear hug.

"I was so worried, Sir Laharl!" the fallen angel cried, "I thought we were really going to lose!"

"Looks like you pulled through another one, Prince." Etna said, grinning cheekily.

Laharl huffed, crossing his arms. "As if anyone could convict _me_."

Needless to say, Wright felt a little unappreciated. ("Don't mind me, I just did all the work…")

As if hearing the lawyer's thoughts, Laharl said, "Good job, Mr. Wright."

Smiling, Wright replied, "It was my pleasure."

"But I wonder if all of this could have been avoided…" Laharl said, looking past Wright. Confused, Wright turned around.

Standing behind was a tall man, with long silver hair. He wore elegant robes similar to Main Hero B's, and had a pair of large, luxurious wings, the largest Wright had ever seen.

Flonne gasped, letting go of Laharl. "Master Lamington!"

("Lamington…isn't that name of the angels' leader? You mean he's _that _Lamington?")

Lamington smiled softly. "You did a fine job, Phoenix Wright. As expected of an Ace Attorney."

Just as Lamington had said that, some Prinnies came out from behind him.

"You were awesome, dood!" One said.

"The Ace of Spades Attorney, dood!" Another said.

"You sure showed Manny, dood!"

Wright rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed at their praise. "Aw, come on…I'm just a lawyer…"

"I used to be a lawyer too, dood!"

"Me too, dood!"

The Prinnies began to chant "One of us!" over and over again. Wright felt a bead of sweat.

("That's it…I'm gonna quit law and become something less dangerous…like a piano player.")

Laharl, meanwhile, ignored the antics of the Prinnies to focus on Lamington. "You knew Maderas was behind this, didn't you? The whole time, you knew."

Lamington was silent.

"Master Lamington…?" Flonne asked.

Lamington chuckled slightly. "Very perceptive, Lord Laharl."

"Wait, you knew?" Etna demanded, her eyes going red. She shook a fist and growled, "Then why the hell didn't you say anything? We could have avoided all of this!"

Lamington said, "Words alone are powerless…do you know why, Phoenix Wright?"

Taken aback, Wright thought to himself. He answered, "Because…even if you had said Laharl was innocent, no one would have believed you without proof."

Lamington nodded. "That is correct. As I expected, from someone trained by Mia Fey."

"But, why get the Judge and I involved?" Wright asked, "We're only humans."

"It was to show both the Netherworld and Celestia how important humans are to us," Lamington answered, "Demons and angels alike had forgotten this."

"Huh?" Etna blinked. "_Humans _are important to us? You're kidding, right?"

"You will see…or perhaps, you already _have _seen." Lamington said, sending a meaningful glance in Wright's direction.

"Er, I'd like to take credit, but…" Wright tapped his chin thoughtfully. "…The only reason I got Maderas was because of Thursday's sensors."

"Uh, actually, Thursday was built by humans, too." Laharl admitted, "So I guess Lamington has a point…"

Wright felt a rush of pride, not for him, but for the human race. Then a thought occurred to him. "So, what happens to von Karma?"

"Manfred von Karma will resume his role as a Prinny and work off his wages of sin," Lamington said, "Though I suspect they may have increased now."

"Oh, that's good," Wright said, a rush of relief flooding through him. "At least now he won't become a demon."

"What are you talking about?" Laharl demanded, "That's not possible."

"But, von Karma told me…"

"While it is possible for humans to become demons," Etna said, "That only works if you're alive. Prinnies are Prinnies, until the day they reincarnate."

"Thank goodness!" Wright sighed.

"Mr. Wright, the portal back to your world is ready." The keeper of the portal called out. That reminded Wright.

"Wait, what about the Judge? I don't see him!" Wright cried, looking around.

"I have already sent him home," Lamington assured, "Though, I'm not certain if he'll remember any of this, at his age."

"Will he be all right?" Wright asked.

"He will. In fact, I suspect his time in Celestia may have extended his lifespan."

"Oh, that's good." Wright replied, and thought, ("Will the same happen to me?") "Well, I guess I'll be going now…"

"Hold on," Lamington said, and looked at Laharl. "I think we're forgetting something."

Laharl winced. "Yeah, yeah…" He held out a brief case to Wright. Wright took it and opened it up. Inside were wads of bills. "This is your fee. It's the Netherworld standard for lawyers."

Wright was amazed. "How much is it?"

Laharl rolled his eyes in thought. "Uh…about 1537 HL."

Wright closed up the briefcase. "Fifteen-hundred… Can that be exchanged into dollars?"

"AT THE EXCHANGE RATE OF ONE CENT PER HELL, 1537 HL BECOMES $15.37," Thursday reported, "BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP."

("Great…at least I can buy a free lunch, or something…")

"Wait, wait!" Flonne cried out, "Before you go, let's have a picture to look back on!"

Flonne gave her camera to a Prinny. After some initial confusion and complaints, everyone was gathered, with some other Prinnies throwing confetti out of their fanny packs.

"Say cheese, dood!"

_Click!_

-AAD-

October 13, 2: 21 PM_

Wright & Co. Law Offices_

("Home at last… It feels like an eternity since I've been here.")

When Wright had exited the portal, he discovered that apparently no time had passed during his adventure in the Netherworld. It was as if he was never gone. Wright would have been willing to chalk up his experience to a bad dream, but the glowing feather, along with the other evidence from the case, told him otherwise. After stashing it in a safe place, Wright quickly went on to his vacation, which he now needed more than ever.

("I wonder if Lamington had bent time somehow… Seems possible,") Wright thought, and lay back on his couch. ("I wonder what it'd be like to be so all-knowing and in control…")

"Hey, Nick! Guess who's back!"

Wright smiled. "Hey, Maya."

Maya Fey, dressed in her traditional medium robes, bounced into the office. Wright wasn't sure if it was possible, but she now seemed more energetic than ever. It was good to see a familiar face again.

"So, how was your vacation?" She asked, "I'll bet you were bored without me and Pearly to keep you company, huh?"

"Actually, I was enjoying the peace and quiet," Wright replied, "We don't get enough of it, nowadays."

Maya puffed out her checks irritably.

"I'm just kidding. So, how did your training go?" Wright asked.

Maya's eyes light up and she clapped her hands together. "Oh, you would not believe what happened! It was so cool! I can't wait to tell you all about it!"

Frrrwooosh!

"Huh? What was that?" Maya looked around. "It sounded like a toilet being flushed in a thunderstorm…"

Wright felt himself go cold. Just then, a teen boy stepped into the office. His clothing consisted of a red jacket over a black shirt, and grey pants. He had glasses, unruly white hair…_and pointed ears._

"Hi, welcome to the Wright & Co. Law Offices!" Maya greeted cheerily, "Can we help you?"

"That depends," the teen said, looking around. "Is this the office of that Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright?"

"You got it! So, what can we do you for?" Maya asked.

"Well, I- Hey, you're a channel or something, aren't you?" the kid asked, taking a good look at Maya. "I can tell from your robes. My 1.8 million E.Q. hasn't failed me before! Can you summons spirits? Cast spells? Shoot beams of light from your hands? Huff…huff…"

Maya backed away, rightly freaked out as the kid began to pant, drooling. Wright quickly decided to intervene.

"Look, do you need legal help?" He asked, standing in front of Maya. ("Or do you just need a shrink?")

"Huh? Oh, right," the kid wiped his mouth. "I'm Mao, the Dean-Overlord of Nether Institute Evil Academy. I need you to defend my case- I'm being sued for sexual harassment! Damn it, it's just research! Why doesn't anyone see that?"

("Wait a sec… Evil Academy? I heard that name in the Netherworld… No! No! Not again!")

"Now, are you going to defend me?" Mao asked, calming down. "Or do I have to program you to? I'm good either way."

"Uh, Nick…" Maya began warily, not taking her eyes off Mao. "What…what should we say?"

There was only one thing _to _say.

"_**OBJECTION!**_"

**Final Episode**

_End_

Court Record

-Defense Attorny's badge: My symbol as a defense attorney. I hope I don't lose it…

-Defense Investigation Bill: Permission from the Dark Assembly to investigate the crime scene. At least, that's what I hope it says. The writing's kind of illegible.

-Passports: These passports belonged to the Vato Bros. Apparently, they live in a place called, 'Evil Academy.'

-Angel Feather: Found at the crime scene. It came from a feather different from Tramus.

-Devil Food Cake Wrappers: These papers once contained Gates Hotel's exclusive Devil Food Cakes.

-Prinny Day flyer: The Prinnies get only one day off a year…glad I'm not them!

-Broken Spear: The weapon used to kill Tramus. The blade end is still stuck in the body, apparently.

-Nether Venom X Mk II: The most lethal poison the Netherworld has ever known. Found on the murder weapon.

-Laharl: My client, and the brattiest demon you will meet. He's been accused of killing an angel.

-Etna: Laharl's, and mine, less-than-trusted assistant. I wonder what her true agenda is…

-Tramus: The victim. He was a high-ranking angel from Celestia when alive.

-Vato Bros: Churro, Chewie, and Cholo are three orcs with nothing better to do than harass people. They rely on their lackeys FAR too much.

-Flonne: One of Laharl's friend, a ditzy Fallen Angel. How can someone so sweet be friends with that brat? I'm jealous!

-Flonne's Testimony: What Flonne witnessed on the day of the murder.

-Marjoly: The detective investigating the murder. She's human, but has demonic powers. Don't make fun of her age.

-the Judge: Normally the overseer of the trials I take part in on Earth, he's been brought here to act as a neutral party.

-Manfred von Karma: The most fiendish prosecutor I've ever faced off against. Even though he died in the human world, his spirit lives on in the Netherworld. Should be a Prinny, apparently.

-Thursday: An 'All-Purpose Super Robot', built to defend the Earth. If that's so, how come it's in the Netherworld…?

-Maggey Byrde: A human who works at a demon hotel. Plagued by atrocious luck, but still remains chipper.

-Maggey's Testimony: What Maggey witnessed on the day of the murder.

-Hooded Stranger: A mysterious being who came to the hotel.

- Etna's Testimony: The sordid details of Etna's past.

-Mia Fey: My dead mentor, now working as an angel in Celestia. Rank is unknown.

- Main Hero B's address: Also where the Tramus family lived.

-Main Hero B: A…strange…angel who worked for Tramus. An angel masochist, apparently.

-Main Hero B's Testimony: What Main Hero B witnessed on the day of the murder.

-Note From Tramus(?): This letter is the reason Laharl went to see Tramus.

(A/n: Whew, it's finally DONE! I swear, this is without a doubt the longest chapter in this story. It's not easy writing stories like this…making everything fit together is a real chore. The "Record? Is someone supposed to be writing this down" line was stolen directly from _Batman: The Animated Series_ episode 'Trial', where Batman was put on a mock-trial by his enemies with the Joker as judge. Demons steal things, deal with it.)


	7. Credits

**Credits**

_Disgaea _and everything related is property of Nippon-Ichi Software.

"Well, things have calmed down here in the Netherworld," Etna said, "I've got my hands full keeping the Prinnies in line, but don't worry. There's also something I can have them do."

_Ace Attorney _and all things related is property of Capcom.

"The hotel was closed down, but I don't mind," Flonne said, "I was done with that place anyway. Speaking of being done, I wonder if the paperwork for my re-admittance to the Celestial Host was cleared…"

_Rhapsody _is also property of Nippon-Ichi Software.

"I sent Maderas to Celestia to answer for his crime," Laharl said, and snickered. "You should have seen the look on his face! Wait'll the angels get a hold of him!"

Phoenix Wright is voiced by: Ben Judd

"Because we lost our passports, we cannot go back to Evil Academy, ese." Chewie said.

"This is bad. How can we truly skip class if we don't have the choice to do so, homes?" Cholo asked.

"Maybe we could mail ourselves home, weddo." Churro suggested.

Laharl voiced by: Barbara Goodson

Marjoly looked livid. "Because my suspect wasn't convicted, I lost my badge at the Twilight Peace Corps.! No, it had nothing to do with that angel I allegedly assaulted. Damn it! Now how will I meet one of those hunky prosecutors?"

Etna voiced by: Michelle Ruff

"I lost my job when they closed down the hotel…" Maggey sighed, "It turns out the manager had committed murder… But I'm not going to let that get me down! This time it wasn't my fault I got fired! Surely, but steadily, I'm going from a mistress of misfortune to just an unlucky person! Just watch!"

Flonne voiced by: Sandy Fox

"You're doing quite well, Phoenix," Mia said, "But could you keep what you learned here in Celestia and the Netherworld a secret? People aren't supposed to know exactly what happens to them when they die."

Prinnies voiced by: Grant George

"I think Lord Tramus' spirit can rest easy, now that his killer has been found," Main Hero B said, "But the pain of his passing is still with us…ahhh…"

Seraph Lamington voiced by: Jamieson Price

"Mr. Wright, I think we should keep our little adventure a secret," the Judge said, "When I told my brother, he almost had me put in a rest home!"

All other voices done by: Someone else

"I didn't think it was possible," A Prinny grumbled in von Karma's voice, "But the workload is worse than ever! Just yesterday that brat Etna sent us looking for her panties. Who sends an army to find underwear!"

Inspired by _Devil's Attorney_ by LordIban, now playing on Youtube!

"Things don't always go the way you expect them to," Lamington said, "But no matter what, you must not lose hope. Faith is a precious thing…"

Thank you for all of your reviews! See you!

"Those stupid Vato Bros…" Asagi hissed, fuming. "If they had taken Wright out like I told them too, I would've been able to swoop in and become the main character!"

**Disgaea / Ace Attorney**

**Hell's Turnabout**

_End._


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